2013-06-05 P & R Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Great Blue Heron Nest Count Doubles Alain! Feb 2013 The great blue herons on Peltier Lake Island had a FANTASTIC 2011 and 2012 summer! Thanks go to Anoka County Parks, city of Lino Lakes. their Environmental Board, the city of Centerville. the DNR, the Jaycee's and others for their support of the great blue herons. Protections need to continue to try to reach a previous 1,000+ Great Blue Heron Winter Nest Count During the summer of 2011. the herons built 125 nests compared to 47 the year ;o` before. That's 78 added. 253 During the summer of 2012. they built 253 nests or 128 250 more from the year before. Nest counts are made in z _)00 winter to avoid disturbance 1 25 of the herons and to easily 1 �' E see the nests. E Z 100 58 63 47 In addition, during the summer of 2012. as many 50 as 15 great egrets seemed to be nesting on the island too. 0 Around 1999, they were 2008 2009 2010 201 2 fairly common and this is sn ,il tdests 12 4 40 the first time since then a Fill NUI-I, 121 213 we've see significant activity. On Feb 23. 2013. Glenn Fuchs (Anoka Parks), Marty Asleson (Lino Lakes). Andy Von Duyke. Theresa Klaman, Ron Marier and Wayne LeBlanc added metal flashing to 22 more trees containing nests. Zack Fairbanks, Danny Lawrence and Zack Marier helped break trail on the island. Barbara Bor thanked the crew by treating them to lunch at the Blue Heron restaurant. The metal flashing protects almost all the nests there now from possible predatory raccoons. In the spring, the herons usually move nests around, scavenging from some nests and creating new ones from new material and so some nests may move to unprotected trees. Three protections account for the gains: 1) The No A'ake Zone established by Anoka Parks. city Lino Lakes, city of Centerville. the DNR and others is doing its job by keeping disturbing high speed boat traffic away from the herons. This zone not only protects the herons. it also protects sensitive aquatic plants in the north part of the lake. Even if the herons were gone, this No -Wake Zone would still be required. z.:x. 2) Metal flashing on nesting trees and bridge trees reduces predation. 3) Signs posted around the island keep -' people off the island so nesting birds of all kinds are free of human disturbance. Pictured left to right: Wkyne LeBlanc, Ron Marier, Marty Asleson, Andy Von Duyke, Glenn Fuchs and Theresa Klaman