#3031 "Great Blue Rookery"

#3031 "Great Blue Rookery"
36 X 24 inches, oils on canvas.
Started at 10:00 am Monday, July 20th, 2026

Great Blue Herons and their antics are the stars of the Singleton Sanctuary. A "Big Daddy" Great Blue Heron was on the rocky point when we first visited the location of our future home in the autumn of 2006. Big Daddy lingered while I strolled down to Jim Day Rapids. That memory has been indelibly placed in our brains. 

A blue heron rookery is a communal breeding colony where great blue herons gather to build nests, court, and raise their chicks. These active, sometimes noisy sites are typically located in the tops of tall trees near wetlands to protect the gangly young from predators like raccoons. Apparently, what I called a rookery in the title is more properly called a "heronry".

Key Characteristics of a Rookery

• Colony Size: Rookeries can host anywhere from 50 to over 500 nesting pairs.
• Nesting: Females weave platforms made of sticks that males deliver. 
• Over time, these nests can grow to massive sizes spanning up to 4 feet across.
• Breeding Season: Mating begins in late winter to early spring.
• Females lay 2 to 6 pale blue eggs, and it takes about a month for them to hatch. The chicks fledge and leave the nest after about two months.
• Protection: Because herons rely on these same nesting grounds year after year, human disturbance is the leading cause of nest failure. Wildlife experts recommend staying at least 1,000 feet away from an active rookery to avoid causing the birds to abandon their nests.

Great Blue Herons live in both freshwater and saltwater habitats. They also forage in grasslands and agricultural fields, where they stalk frogs and mammals. Most breeding colonies are located within a few miles of feeding areas, often in isolated swamps or on islands, and near lakes and ponds bordered by forests. 

Great Blue Herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They grab smaller prey in their strong mandibles or use their dagger-like bills to impale larger fish, often shaking them to break or relax the sharp spines before gulping them down. I have seen them dine on chipmunks... 

Nearly 70% of great blue herons die before they reach one year of age. Starvation, severe weather, and predators like raccoons, crows, and hawks threaten the young chicks and eggs. Birds that survive the first year reach breeding age at about two years old. 

The average lifespan of a great blue heron is about 15 years in the wild, with a maximum recorded age of roughly 25 years. Big Daddy, whom we saw in 2006, might still be with us!

This backlit image was taken by my friend, John Verburg, a naturalist and terrific photographer. John has a very long lens and is very empathetic to nature. I am certain that he did not cause these herons any distress. A couple of the young herons were looking at John, and I painted them that way. 

John provides a tremendous source of inspiration that encourages me to paint within the Singleton Studio when conditions outside are not conducive to plein air. It was a very hot and smoky week in mid-July. Conditions outside were quite bad for your health. 

Breathing wildfire smoke is frequently compared to smoking cigarettes because both contain hazardous fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter that penetrates the lungs and bloodstream. Health experts use the PM 2.5 concentration to convert air quality into cigarette equivalents:

• Moderate to Unhealthy Air (AQI 100-150): Breathing this air outdoors for a full day is equal to smoking about 7 to 9 cigarettes.
• Severe Spikes (AQI 150-200): During intense wildfire plumes, this equivalence can quickly rise to smoking 10 to 12 cigarettes or more.

One can imagine what "Very Unhealthy" and "Hazardous" Air Quality might mean for your health! Toronto had the worst air quality on the planet during this event. Not something to be proud of. 

Smoke like the weather does not care about international borders. Wildfires throughout the Boreal forest and the Rocky Mountains disperse their smoke with the wind that happens to be blowing. While the chemical profiles differ, experts note that wildfire smoke can arguably be more dangerous than a cigarette because it lacks a filter and affects everyone indiscriminately. I highly recommend John Vaillant's "Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast" (2023) if you would like to learn more. I have never smoked a cigarette and was not about to start now.

On a positive note, the smoke encouraged me to tackle this very fun subject. Painting nature while at the easel my Dad made always brings back some wonderful memories. The atmospheric background was actually suggested in the photo, but I witnessed the same sky on the evening of Thursday, July 23rd. That thin cirrostratus sunset sky was brightly backlit. 

For this and much more art, click on Fine Art America or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you so very much for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick