PHOTOS: Great Blue Heron Spotted Along Leary Way

Laura Lee Bennett of the Redmond Association of Spokenword sent us these photos yesterday of a Great Blue Heron watching over a nest near her apartment on Leary Way.

Bennett's boyfriend, John Gustaveson, took the photos from the deck of her condo using a Nikon Cool Pix L8-10.

Have your own wildlife sightings to share? Add your photos or videos to our Pics & Clips community gallery.

In related news, an urban forest restoration project at the Heron Rookery at Leary Way and Bear Creek Parkway is about to get underway. 

The 4.5-acre wooded site is owned by the city and has historically served as a habitat for herons, although the site has not been active for 10 years and nesting areas are now more common toward Marymoor Park, said Teresa Kluver of the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation Department.

But the property is still a valuable asset, especially because of the role the wooded area plays in stormwater management, Kluver said. In coming weeks, a crew from the Washington Conservation Corps will work to remove invasive plants species and plant native vegetation in its place.

For more information or to find out how you can help preserve the Heron Rookery, contact Kluver at 425-556-2355 or tkluver@redmond.gov.