By Sara McCabe
Photographer George McLean counted 10 chicks and two parents. The Alewife Brook Reservation area appears to have ample food for the great blue heron family. (George McLean photos)
Birders and conservationists have been overjoyed by the discovery this spring of a great blue heron rookery in the Alewife Brook Reservation. Many believe this to be the only great blue heron roost for at least 20 miles. The herons’ selection of Jerry’s Pond in North Cambridge as the site for their two nests is especial cause for excitement. This artificial pond was created in 1870 from an old clay pit, used as a public swimming hole from 1913 to 1961, then closed for suspected contamination. It has been fenced off for nearly 60 years despite its prime location along the Alewife Linear Park path next to the southern entrance of Alewife Station.
“I had to take these pictures through a chain-link fence from over 100 yards away, using a
400 mm lens,” said wildlife photographer George McLean, who has observed the heron family’s progress over several months. McLean counted 10 chicks and two parents. The herons appear to have adequate resources and security amid the roughly nine-acre wooded habitat, despite the bustling cityscape that surrounds it. “They have all the fish, frogs, turtles, and other food they need right here,” said McLean, adding, “From watching the herons, I’ve found out that they will eat anything—even chipmunks and other birds!”
This past February, the Cambridge City Council unanimously passed an order to apply for an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) brownfields assessment for the site. It is still too early to predict the fate of the site, but the birth of the heron chicks is a good sign that at least the local wildlife understands the value of this urban oasis.
Sara McCabe is editor of the BCF Newsletter.
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