Gull Bay Preserve
472 acres in the Town of Putnam
This woodland hillside property contains old logging roads
and two wetland swamps which represent the southern portion of Sucker Brook, one
of the most important wetlands in the Lake George watershed. In autumn,
significant numbers of migratory waterfowl rest in the wetland before their
journey south to warmer climates. The western side of the property has a
magnificent scenic vista of Lake George. The Lake George Land Conservancy has
established two miles of hiking trails and hosts nature excursions on the
property as part of its “On the Land” field trip series.
In addition to an expansive view overlooking Gull Bay, the
Gull Bay Preserve boasts another ecological feature: a great blue heron rookery,
or nesting colony, with over 30 nests at last count. Heron rookeries can contain
up to hundreds of nests, which are constructed out of sticks in March and April.
Usually located in standing water, the colonies are well protected from nest
predation by animals such as raccoons and opossums. Three to five eggs are laid
in April and are incubated by both parents for approximately 28 days. Eight
weeks after hatching, the young begin learning to fly, and at ten weeks, they
leave the nest and are completely independent. These herons feed primarily on
fish, frogs, insects, and occasionally rodents and small birds. The great blue
heron is North America’s largest and most widely distributed heron. In the
summer, the herons are found as far north as Newfoundland, and in the winter,
can be found from the Chesapeake Bay to Venezuela. Great blue herons are an
extremely important wildlife species because their presence is a good indicator
of high water quality. Care must be taken to maintain the water quality of the
Lake George watershed, and subsequently help to preserve important heron
habitat. Visitors to heron rookeries should be very careful not to disturb the
birds and rookery in the spring, as too much disturbance will force the herons
to relocate the rookery.
From the parking area, the blue trail follows an old
logging road uphill for 0.3 miles, and ends at an overlook that peeks out onto
Gull Bay and southern Lake George. The orange trail cuts off from the blue
trail just below the overlook and leads to the heron rookery. This 1.4-mile
trail winds its way to the tip of the rookery (and the surviving beaver dam)
and takes a loop through a fern-laden forest landscape.
Intensity: Moderate – some steep slopes and trails may be flooded
