Three Cedar Creek islands turn into a rookery each spring

Three small islands rise from Cedar Creek Reservoir as a 160-acre wildlife management area. In spring and summer, herons, egrets, cormorants, and other colonial waterbirds crowd the trees to nest.

The spectacle is visible from the water, but the land itself is closed to public entry. Viewing is from boats only. That keeps feet, pets, and picnics out of an active nesting colony.

Give the islands space and use binoculars instead of approaching the shoreline. The birds are the whole point: a reservoir built for water supply also holds one of the county's most unusual seasonal neighborhoods.