[EBB Sightings] Nesting Egrets on Bay Farm, Alameda

Verne Nelson wrote:
> A small colony of Snowy and Great Egrets has
> established a nesting area this year on Bay Farm
> Island in Alameda. There are around 13 nests in two
> pine trees on a lagoon. 

Perhaps they're some of the 50 or so pairs of each that didn't nest at 
Lake Merritt this year.

The whole heron rookery on the islands has virtually failed - I've seen 
only one young Black-Crowned Night Heron, and if there are any egrets 
nesting there this year, they're around the back of the islands. 
Probably not, though - it looks like the few egrets at the lake are just 
hanging out for the fish.

Has anyone heard an explanation for why this happened? (The local Canada 
Geese are in trouble, too - Dick Bailey, whose Lake Merritt Institute 
monitors the lake every day, picking up trash and keeping track of 
what's happening, saw only one clutch of goslings all year. Not such a 
problem, but still'nall....)

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