FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] bizarre heron behavior

["Kistlers" <kistlers@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is a third hand report from a friend of a friend:
    A woman and her young son were canoeing on the Nolin River recently when 
they passed a small great blue heron rookery which has been known for several 
years. This is a little-used stretch of river, due to the fact that private 
landowners have gone to great lengths to blcok access to boaters. It's hard to 
find a spot to even launch a kayak. When they passed the rookery, the young boy 
cried out loudly in excitement. What happened next is very strange: the birds 
started to panic and worked themselves into a frenzy. The adults then pushed 
the baby birds out of the nest into the river, where they drowned. The canoers 
were completely horrified. My friend says that she is entirely trustworthy.
Has anyone heard of such strange behavior ? The whole thing seems unbelievable.
Steve Kistler
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