GREELEY — Dozens of great blue herons that had nested in trees along the Poudre Trail in north Greeley, delighting bird- watchers, joggers and walkers, abandoned their nests and fled this week after construction crews moved in with heavy equipment beneath the trees.
The city of Greeley is majority owner of the irrigation company that sent the crews.
While bird-watchers are angry about the loss of the nesting area — there were more than 30 nests in the trees — herons move often, experts say, and unless they left behind their eggs, no migratory-bird rules were likely violated.
Many Poudre Trail walkers and bird-watchers have gone to the area to see the large birds and their nests. The distinctive birds are up to 55 inches tall, with wingspans of nearly 80 inches.
Daniel Bruns of Greeley is one of those who had enjoyed the birds.
“I was greatly disturbed to find that the herons had all been driven away from their nests by heavy equipment digging right by their trees,” Bruns wrote to the Greeley Tribune. “It was like watching the movie ‘Avatar,’ and it made me angry. Why would anyone do this right when the herons are nesting?”
Jon Monson, the city’s water and sewer director, said Friday that Boyd Irrigation began work this week on some flood damage from last year along the irrigation canal. No one checked with wildlife officials to determine whether work would disturb the herons.
Federal Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Diane Katzenberger said the construction and heavy equipment operation did not necessarily violate migratory-bird-protection laws, unless the work prompted the birds to abandon eggs in their nests.
Katzenberger said if eggs are still in the nests, federal investigators could be sent in.
