Here's an update from Gretchen Blatz, a biologist for the WA state department of Fish and Wildlife:
"I accompanied Tammy Schmidt to the colony last Friday. In case you haven’t ‘met’, Tammy is the WDFW Assistant Biologist in Thurston and Pierce Counties and is the lead surveyor of heron rookeries in that area this year.
We counted 11 nests. I believe 2 were remnants. One of the previously known nests that was active in 2008 wasn’t located and we think the tree could have been broken (by high winds or snow load?) but there’s no way to confirm that. The missing nest was the farthest north in the colony on the north side of the new road. You’re right about the road proximity to the colony – it is very close."
Mission Statement
The Oly Friends of Herons web site was created to provide information relating to the Great Blue Herons that nest in the vicinity of the west side Olympia Food Co-op. The nests are located in an area slated for development; 6 townhomes are going to be built 3 blocks northeast of the Co-op.
If anyone is reading this, please leave a comment so I'll know you're out there.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists recomend that this web site not reveal the exact location of nests. The presence of people can disrupt breeding activity. Nests can be observed with binoculars or spotting scopes from the road. The link to Black River Herons also provides information about how herons are observed there without disruption.
On this site, I hope to answer questions such as: What are the developer's responsibilities re: the rookery? What parameters do great blues use for selecting nesting sites? Will trees that meet these parameters be left in the two tree lots that the development will have? What does the developer think about the herons?
If anyone is reading this, please leave a comment so I'll know you're out there.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists recomend that this web site not reveal the exact location of nests. The presence of people can disrupt breeding activity. Nests can be observed with binoculars or spotting scopes from the road. The link to Black River Herons also provides information about how herons are observed there without disruption.
On this site, I hope to answer questions such as: What are the developer's responsibilities re: the rookery? What parameters do great blues use for selecting nesting sites? Will trees that meet these parameters be left in the two tree lots that the development will have? What does the developer think about the herons?
Thurston County Rookeries
Click for a map.
Site Plan for Townhomes
Click to see the plan.
Area to be Developed
Click for Geodata map
Heron Links
Olympia Links
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5 comments:
How can I help?
I live near Percival and Harrison...
I also do International forest monitoring blog style... So any material you want me to blog related to this effort send it to me!
Also Herons nested and Bald Eagles perched wear the Olympia Bridge project is... When the project was completed the Heron rookery / nesting trees and Eagle presence completely ended.
The point need to be made again and again that the cities mitigation of the Bridge project failed and they destroyed rare habitat with no consequence...
This is illegal! And what if we added up all the times illegal activities such as these have happened without consequence... Maybe we can turn it into a lawsuit?
Be well, Deane
360-789-7843
deane@efn.org
2/15 will come the time to start looking for evidence of the 2009 mating season. I'll do a post about what to look for--that would be a big help. As well as reporting sightings of herons around the west side.
Deane--if you have information about the bridge project, the mitigation that was required, if any, let me know. Was a biological inventory done before the bridge went in?
Hi Marco, as you can see, all the links are to sites that have information about Great Blue Herons.
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