A Rookery In The Making

 

Last month on our evening walks we noticed droves of egrets and herons flying overhead in a particular part of our block. It was a magical sight, no doubt and we wondered what brought these water birds to be so close to human habitats.

On probing further, some obvious reasons emerged. The upcoming expressway in the vicinity must have disturbed their earlier haunts due to the construction noise, pollution, and sudden influx of activities. Meanwhile, the shady clump of trees in this part of our block provided the ideal coverage for these birds to spend the night comfortably and undisturbed. Slowly their numbers grew...

Till a friend informed us that the people living in the nearby houses were struggling to keep the area clean. Droppings, dead birds, clumps of feathers, and that peculiar smell associated with water birds made it difficult for the residents to cope.

I researched some more and suggested that the clump of trees should be cut to limit their numbers. It seemed to work for a little while but then they returned. Once egrets and herons start nesting at a site, it is difficult to dislodge them. Really feel sorry for the affected residents but in the process I learnt about rookeries - a colony of egrets and herons.

Their graceful flight is a pleasure to watch every evening. I hope in future we come upon a solution whereby both birds and humans can happily coexist.