September 30, 2019
It was sometime in late June when word started to filter in about an unusual heron rookery in mid-town St. Louis. First I saw something on the MO-birds listserve, then maybe an Instagram photo or small Facebook post. Intrigued, I filed it away under the “must check out soon” category. Life was busy and I couldn’t sneak by to see what it was all about.
An urgent call to action
Then the 4th of July came, and like many I was celebrating with my family and enjoying the national holiday and a break from work. I started getting e-mails on my phone, reports that tree trimmers were cutting down trees containing nests with fledglings at the rookery site. It seemed highly unusual to me that any tree crews were working on the 4th of July, and I was concerned that this was an intentional act to fly under the radar and remove these birds without getting noticed.
If that was the intent, then whoever was behind that idea underestimated the fervor of the Missouri birding community. Birders responded from near and far, putting a halt to the tree cutting and finding a safe haven for the fledglings that were displaced. Over the next several days, these birders communicated with federal wildlife authorities, the property owners, and local residents. Eventually the tree trimming was postponed until the birds completed nesting, a short-term victory. The St. Louis heron rookery would survive the summer.
A spectacular sight
With all this fuss going on, I finally had to get down to this area in the 4100 Olive to see the St. Louis heron rookery for myself. I headed down after work one evening, and what and unusual and spectacular are sight it was! Little blue herons, black-crowned night herons, and great egrets were nesting by the hundreds in trees large and small. The crazy part is that these nests were located in street trees, in condominium yards, and in commercial properties in the middle of the city. There is absolutely no water in sight. Many of the trees were smallish Bradford pears, young white pines, and some sparse ash trees. The nests were often less than 10’ from a building and all near sidewalks, streets, and parking lots. Clearly not your usual location for a large heron rookery.
The residents who I ran into were not as impressed by the spectacle. They pointed to the bird droppings, feathers, and egg shells that littered the walkways. A few of them complained about how noisy the birds were, blaming the squawking for keeping them up at night. One older women asked me where I lived, and couldn’t believe that I drove 30 minutes from the suburbs to see the birds. She even encouraged me by suggesting that I should “take the damn birds with you” when I left.
So what is next?
I have no idea what happens from here with these birds. From what I understand, many of these nest trees will be removed once the birds fledge the nests. It is not clear whether or not this was the first year that the birds came to this location. I also have no idea if they will return, or even if they will be allowed to return. Regardless of what happens, the St. Louis heron rookery was an amazing sight and another glimpse into the beauty of nature.
Many organizations jumped in to help out these birds, with links below. This is not a complete list by any means but at least these are some I remember:
