2003-03-26 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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.,..,...~,:,~__ ...."'..t'''..tl..~~\~~Ol\\UU.~lI.~~i'l'.I\'............,.., .....hp......l.'..".Ilw..~~.bi.\~~~,llto1.lw.t..t1.1\'.t.'.I\'.ot'!..'lM,~.~t,l.U~~~'l).;.~~\c.'.!ltl'U\U~l\!bh~\\.t\tl~~'"'\~:fl'.'~''$'u;,t~~ ., . ~ ,. . ''''- ~~ THE PELTIER LAKE HERONRY, 2002.AND BEYOND JUNE 15,2002 ART HAWKINS .... -' . Six great blue herons bad arrived this year by March 19 along Rice Creek below Peltier Lake dam where it was ice free. By March 30 at least 5 pairs of herons were. standn,g on nests of Peltier Island b1;d: a 5 inch snowfilll on April 3 caused the birds to return to the open water .of Rice . e. Creek. They bad retmned to their nests by April 7 in greater nnri'lhers than before the snow. I co~ 73 herons-at.neSts on J\p[il14"but no egrets.yet.:. . . ... -".."0". '. .. ~;r"'.~ :. .....,.:. . "9: .. . .oto!. po: .. ,... . . " '. 'Iee-out on most local~ occurred on Apri11~ ~.~.ifxt ~ I $8W 15 egrets at nests at the colony. At least 20 ewetS were dAnd~ en.aests: by"-4I18 when the ~ reached 86 degrees. Eight herons came to the "stick field" for i1est repair materials. TheD, on 4/21 ~ther .. major snowstorm made this the snoWiest April on nmrd. On April 30, Gordy'Brand~ 8nd I checked the heronry il'om 8:15-9:15 AM. Only 3 herons came to the stick field but unusually large numbers were flying from or coming to the heronry. Only one egret was seen during the hoUr. ' .. -... On May 3 fishermen motored to the bog-sticks narrows then cut the motor and drifted, caSting toward shore along the north shore of the isJaixl but caused no noticeable reaCtion frOm the birds. I could see ~ybe 20 herons and 2 or 3 egrets at nests. Steve Kittleson flew by on regular count. ~ an nest and two swans flew into North Arm of the lake from the south. On 5/4 at 1 PM, I received a call from Ron Marier reporting a moto~ bQat circling Peltier " . island. I notified Joan GaUi who pickep me up and we joined Ron at the lookout.on ~ p{Operty . where he described the boat's activity. We could see perhaps 30 heronS at nests but no~ came fOr sticks during OlD' stay. From the west side we could see herons but no egrets at nestS. A peregrine flew by as we ~ the Wargo east gate. On 5/9 :from 9:30 - 10:00 AM we saw no herons come to sticks and only a couple flying out. However it was very windY. on ~13, .from 7:20 - 8:20 AM, 3 herons came for sticks, 6 herons flew into or out from the heronry?Vfnore distant points and 16 herons were counted on nest. Brief sleet shower with temp. around 40 degrees. Two eagles flew over the island. It was apparent that the egrets had deserted the heronry. On April 18 when Jennifer Amee from the Bell Museum visited the heronry with me I thought that nest repair process was starting. On Earth Day, April 22, the herons lan<JI4~.tbG stick area at the rate of one per minute. On April 26, Joan Gilbertson and Joe Berg1o~e:"felt'/ Perry, Ron Marier and Steve Kittlesonjoined me for pictures of the heronry from Marier's look_