The State-threatened, Tri-color heron and its baby are in the Calusa Rookery and need to be protected

I want to make it clear that I am writing you as a private citizen who lives just a few hundred yards from the Calusa Rookery on the old Calusa golf course.

As you may remember, I attended the BCC meeting as a private citizen to express why the rookery at Calusa should be protected.  I, along with others were there to let the BCC know that the rookery was indeed home to at least one pair of state-threatened Tri-colored herons (along with many other birds of several species) and that it should be protected from development.

Representatives from the developers countered by saying that they had their “experts” do surveys of the property and that there were no Tri-colored herons seen at the rookery, let alone any nests.

The reason they came to those conclusions  is that their “experts” did their surveys outside of nesting season and at times of the day when the birds would be out foraging and not at the rookery!  As I said at the commission meeting before I was cut off , this is like me going to Minnesota in August and saying that it never snows there!

After much discussion, DERM agreed to work with RER and do additional surveys during the nesting season to either confirm the results of the previous improperly done surveys or to substantiate that there are indeed nesting protected Tri-colored herons at the site.

Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava wrote in a subsequent memo that, “If state or federally listed bird species are determined to be utilizing the rookery, the rookery will be preserved, and the developer will be required to modify their proposed development plan to accommodate preservation of the rookery.”

Last month, Miami-Dade County RER confirmed the existence of a Tri-colored heron nest.  This weekend, I was able to not only get a photograph of the nest, but also of an adult with a chick in the nest! I actually saw two chicks for a split second before the second one hid down in the bowl.  I’ve attached the image that shows the adult bird and the chick (probably only 2-3 days old) showing its head.  The nest is located behind thick vegetation so the photo is not the best but it does confirm the existence of the nest and the fact that it is a successful nest with viable chicks!

I am sending you this in hopes that Community Newspapers can be a voice to remind the politicians and DERM officials of their promise to protect this rookery once proof was provided that it was inhabited by state-protected wildlife.  Any disturbance of the rookery from this point forward should be prohibited.  This includes the presence of any heavy machinery, mowers, or anyone spraying chemicals or doing any other type of “maintenance” that could negatively affect these birds during this very sensitive time.

As the photographer, I stand by this photo and attest that it was taken this past Saturday afternoon and that it confirms that there is at least one pair of Tri-colored herons nesting at the Calusa rookery with viable chicks presently in the nest.  I also saw another pair but could not find their nest which appears to be well hidden in the rookery.

Thank you for anything you can do to help ensure that promises are kept to protect this natural treasure.