More blue herons. I vote for more blue herons. And the thing that helps them of course.

Great blue herons have made a big comeback, thanks in part to beavers

Not that long ago, great blue herons were a rare sight in the Northeast due to hunting pressure and pollution, said Mass Audubon, but they’ve made an impressive comeback in the past few decades. In addition to legal protection of herons and the wetlands they utilize, another factor has helped boost the numbers of great blue herons in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England: beavers.

“Great blue herons are the beneficiaries of beaver activity,” said Petersen. “Beavers have rebounded because they’re protected, and beavers create habitat that other wildlife uses.”

When beavers dam streams, they create ponds and swamps, and the trees that are standing in those newly created wetlands eventually die from the flooding, Petersen explained. Those big dead trees create ideal nesting sites for great blue herons, which build large, flat nests made of sticks. The herons tend to nest communally in colonies called rookeries or heronries, which sometimes contain just a few nests, with larger colonies containing up to 50 or so nests.

Well sure. When beavers dam streams EVERYTHING happens. It’s like the beginning of the story that you used to hear as a kid. “Once upon a time…” And you lean back and listen as wonders unfold. That’s what beavers do. They’re story tellers.

“Great blue herons don’t like to nest in trees that are not in water,” said Petersen. “They prefer the moat-like habitat that beaver ponds and swamps provide.”

Just like moats filled with water used to protect ancient castles, the water surrounding the trees that herons nest in help to provide protection from potential nest predators, like raccoons and foxes, Petersen explained.

The beaver moat is a powerful defense from everything except humans. It kind of works the opposite way with them.