Heron Watch At Blue Heron Lake

In 2002, San Francisco Nature Education (SFNE) was founded to share birding-focused nature walks in the city, Blue Heron Lake (formerly Stow Lake), and Heron’s Head Park. They offer school programs for students, birding for kids and families, guided tours by volunteer naturalists, and much more. They currently offer 24 field trips per year. Nancy DeStefanis, executive director of SFNE, first noted blue heron nests at Blue Heron Lake in 1993. This heron colony has produced chicks every year since then.

This past Saturday, we attended the Heron Watch 2026 at Blue Heron Lake. We were greeted by fellow budding birders and our experienced volunteer guides. The walk started at Blue Heron Boathouse. We spotted juvenile blue herons standing on the dock and in the water testing out their legs and wings. This gave us a chance to adjust our binoculars and take a few photos before starting the climb up Strawberry Hill. We also caught a glimpse of two large heron nests in a nearby tree made of sticks and twigs. The males gather the sticks and the females weave them into the nest.

We walked along the trail up Strawberry Hill, and right away, we were spotting birds with the guidance of our volunteers. One guide passed around illustrations of common birds of Blue Heron Lake to aid our spotting skills.

We quickly saw a pied-billed grebe, red-tailed hawks, Anna’s hummingbirds, a turkey vulture, song sparrows, a Wilson’s warbler, a hooded oriole, and many, many more. Overall, we spotted around 19 unique bird species. I got a quick orientation to the Merlin app from our guide. After the walk, I went home and logged the sightings into my Life List, a digital logbook that tracks every species you’ve identified.

We spotted full-grown great blue herons flying from the ground to the tall trees. Each flight was as impressive as the way they perched on high branches. Adult great blue herons stand between 3.5 and 4.5 feet tall with a wingspan of 5.5 to 6.5 feet. Despite their large size, they only weigh about 4.5 to 8 pounds due to their hollow bones.

From the top of Strawberry Hill, we admired a panoramic view of the Sunset while we learned more about the behaviors of the various birds living in the park. At this point, we spotted several more red-tailed hawks circling above the trees and a flurry of colorful butterflies in the flowers.

In my research about the great blue heron, I learned that the bird is the subject of folklore in Japan, the Coast Salish and Iroquois tribes. In Japanese folklore the heron represents connection to the spirit world. For many Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest and Northeast, the heron represents good luck, patience, and the wisdom of taking your own path.

The most compelling mythology surrounding the heron is from Ancient Egypt. The heron is the cosmic architect of creation, often identified as the Bennu, a divine avian deity associated with the sun, creation, and rebirth. Before the universe was formed, there was only a vast, dark ocean called Nu. The Bennu bird flew over the water, letting out a piercing, primal cry that broke the eternal silence and catalyzed the cycle of creation.

These ancient stories accurately reflect the heron’s nature: steady, solitary, self-reliant, and deliberate. Upon seeing their prehistoric elegance, you can see how these birds inspired myths and legends.

This experience was extremely rewarding and gave me new inspiration to delve further into birding as a hobby. It’s amazing how much more enriching a tour with an experienced naturalist can be versus a casual stroll in the park. It feels almost magical how much more of nature is revealed by these experiences. San Francisco Nature Education offers the Heron Watch again on May 30, and I highly recommend it!