A heads up! -GBH Rookery

Saw something Sunday which I had never seen before and thought I would share with you all in case anyone was interested in shooting it. There is currently a gigantic Great Blue Rookery just before the entrance to St. Vrain State Park. When you make the turn off 119 that goes on the road to the park entrance, shortly after on the left there are lakes. It is just right after the lakes on the left side. (just before the curve in the road) It is some distance away and my 400mm sure as heck wasn't enough for it, so 600mm minimum is what you would need. It is gigantic with the person at the St Vrain check in point saying estimates are between 150-200 birds in the Rookery. (I don't doubt it, there are many trees just covered with nests and Herons everywhere in them.) What topped off the whole scene was the 2 Bald Eagles just on the edge of the Rookery observing them all. Sadly there is no way to get closer than the roadside, as it is on private property it seems. Just a heads up in case anyone wants something very unique to capture.
John
www.jdebordphoto.com

I was aware of the Rookery, and often see the 2 Eagles sitting in the tree by the lakes, problem is as you mentioned there is no easy way to get real close to either. However, you did a good job with the 400mm and the Rookery, I may well check it out again soon.

Yeah I wish that there was a way to get a lot closer, may have to look at grabbing a TC and see what I can do with it

Thanks for the heads-up, John. I like your overview shot of the rookery.

The park brochure notes that this is one of the largest GBH rookeries in the state. I had no idea it was there.

Nice shot of the rookery. Thanks for the information.

John, thanks for the post. I also knew about it...noticed it last year. There is another residential road that goes up the other side of it (west side). I cannot tell whether it is on the farmer's land or the planned future expansion land of St Vrain park. One thing is for certain...it is very large!

Yeah I drove down that residential road, it is very difficult to see anything there, and it is all private property it is on

I watch the XCEL bald eaglecam every spring. They currently have two eggs they're sitting on. Last years clutch was lost to a bad spring storm...hope this year is better for them.

I've known about the rookery for several years, and like some others I've tried winding through the residential roads on the other side to get closer, but no luck. Just down the road a few trees, there's also a pretty good-sized Egret rookery. Also pretty inaccessible, but the number of white forms occupying the trees is impressive.