A Heronry at Bishan-Ang MO Kio

When we go to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, we always see one grey heron or purple heron standing in the stream, Kallang  river, with green vegetations around, elegant and beautiful.

Last Sunday, we went to the park again in the early afternoon. Walking along the stream, there again, a grey heron, standing in the shallow water, long neck stretched. Enjoying the beautiful sight, we took a few pictures, and moved ahead. Shortly a grey heron flew overhead, this definitely not the one we saw earlier, which was still there in the river. Later yet another heron flew over. There were a lot more herons here than we thought.

A few hundred yards later, we spotted a purple heron foraging in the river. As we got closer, a small bird took off from grasses in the water, and landed on the other side of the stream. zooming in using my camera, I saw a baby purple heron! It was a rare sighting for me to see adult heron and its chick foraging together. The chick gradually moved deeper into the vegetation, and we could not see it clearly.

A purple heron chick perched on a branch of the plant in the middle of photo

Further upstream, I heard quaking sounds above my head under a few clustered tall trees, it must some large birds I was sure, looking around and up I did not see anything. Walking away from the trees, I looked back, I saw a bird nest in one tree, and a heron stood above it.

Looking again, I saw three more herons stood on top of the trees! A heron would take off and flew away, another flew back the trees. This is Heronry! 

Heronry is a colony of herons, which is typically near wetland. Herons are colonial nesters, i.e. they nest close to each other in mature trees. 

Walking further away so I could see the treetops, I saw many more herons standing on top of trees.  I got 5 herons in one photo. I suspect that there must be at least a doze of herons in this heronry.

Seeing herons foraging in solitude, how can I imagine they would nest in colony? 

I saw egret colonies before, at Everglades,  at Lavon lake and Dallas bird sanctuary. This is the first time I "discovered" a heronry! How exciting!