The BTO Heronries Census began in 1928 as a one-off investigation but has matured into an annual survey still ongoing more than 90 years later and is one of the longest running breeding bird survey in the world. The simple aim of the Heronries Census is to collect counts of ‘apparently occupied nests’ (aon) of herons, egrets and other colonial waterbirds, e.g. cormorants from as many heronries as possible in the UK each year. In the latest Bedfordshire Bird Report details are recorded for five heronries. The following table lists these and other locations where herons have nested over the years. In recent years Herons have started nesting in the disused clay pits, e.g. Coronation and Rookery North pits, and may also have nested in other similar locations. If anyone is able to visit these sites to confirm whether or not these heronries are active, that information would be gratefully received as would any nest counts from active colonies (whether on the list or not).

For more information, including how you can take part, please visit the BTO Heronries census web pages at

https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heronries-census

or contact me at rogerkhicks@hotmail.com

Roger Hicks

BTO Regional Representative for Bedfordshire