Posted: May 16, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: May 16 A heron stands in the Rideau Canal in April 2021, before the canal was filled for the summer. If you feel like you've seen more herons this year, you're right — and it's due to lower-than-normal levels on the local waterways.(Ian Black/CBC) If you've pointed or gawked at a great blue heron chilling along the Rideau Canal this spring, you're not alone. There aren't necessarily more herons in the Ottawa area this year, but they've certainly been easier to spot, said Alexander Stone, environmental program officer with the National Capital Commission. The reason: lower-than-normal levels on the region's waterways.