I went for what I thought would be a short walk last weekend and stumbled onto over 30 Great Blue Heron nests along the Chester Valley Trail. It looks like they are building their nests and possibly guarding some eggs. Some vultures perched nearby on the other side of the trail and sometimes invaded the nesting area only to be chased away by adult Blue Herons. I plan on returning to see the progress.
This trail is easy to access. There are five key entry points:
- Chester County's Exton Park Site - 132 Church Farm Lane, Exton, Pa.
- Battle of the Clouds Park - 125 N Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, Pa.
- East Whiteland Municipal Building - 209 Conestoga Rd, Malvern, Pa.
- 1055 Westlakes Drive, Berwyn, Pa.
- West Whiteland Municipal Building - 101 E Commerce Drive, Exton, Pa.
You can see the herons from the Berwyn address which is near a Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites and then it's just a short walk down to the nesting area located in a cluster of trees near the trail.
Helpful Tips
- What to Bring
Binoculars and sunglasses
- Notes
The birds seem to be more active in the early to mid-afternoon and then as the sun sets they slow down, so timing your visit for a high activity time would be better.
- Location
- Chester Valley Trail
- Address/Coordinates
- {40.06263286250427,-75.46639086242675}: 40.062633, -75.466391
- Website
- https://www.chesco.org/4643/Chester-Valley-Trail
- Phone
Helpful Tips
- What to Bring
Binoculars and sunglasses
- Notes
The birds seem to be more active in the early to mid-afternoon and then as the sun sets they slow down, so timing your visit for a high activity time would be better.
This is super cool. I want to see this next time I am out that way!
I went back about a week ago. They are still there, but leaves have grown in on the trees so it’s hard to get a view of all of them. But I did see two or three of them through the leaves.