ANNA MARIA – Seana and Jeff Long are concerned about a great blue herons’ nest located in one of several backyard Australian pine trees at 315 Iris St., across the canal from their family home.
As part-time Anna Maria residents, the Longs divide their time between Seattle and a shared family home on Jacaranda Road that sits across the canal from the home where the great blue herons currently live.
Seana Long said that Sinclair Stewart, the longtime owner and occupant of the Iris Street home, passed away earlier this year after time spent at a nursing home. Long said a member of the extended Stewart family recently told her the property has been sold and the new owner already has plans in mind for the property.
“We’ve known the family for 20 years. The new owners are going to knock the house and the trees down to put in a house with a pool,” Long said last week while standing on her canalside deck.
Long does not know who purchased the property; and that information is not yet available at the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website or the Manatee County Clerk of the Court website.
“I’ve been panicked since I got back on the Island and found out my neighbors were selling. It’s a huge nest and it’s been there for quite some time. We’ve been in this home for 20 years and these birds have shared this canal with us for a long time. The blue herons have been our ‘neighbors’ for at least the last 10 years. They’re great blue herons according to my college roommate’s husband, who is an ornithologist. I’m very concerned about their habitat and their home, and I think they have fledglings,” Long said.
Long said the Iris Street property also has two ground-mounted perches that Sinclair Stewart used for his trained ospreys.
“We know from the sellers that the plans are to tear out all those Australian pines and put in a pool. That would destroy the birds’ home. We have to do something to save these birds. I’m not saying keep the trees, I’m saying save the birds’ home. If that means keeping the trees a little bit longer, then yes, the new owners need to be inconvenienced,” Long said.
“It’s the natural flora and fauna of this Island that makes it such a treasure,” she added.
Long wondered if a man-made nesting tower could be erected similar to the man-made nesting tower the city of Anna Maria, FPL and Volt Power partnered to erect on a vacant lot on Lakeview Drive in December 2019. That nesting tower immediately provided a new habitat for a pair of ospreys that had been displaced by a tree removal.
Long questioned whether the Migratory Bird Treaty Act provides these great blue herons with any short or long-term protections.
Fish and Wildlife Service response
On Monday, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Public Affairs Specialist Jennifer Koches provided a written response to several questions posed by The Sun.
Koches confirmed that great blue herons are among the more than 1,000 bird species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
“Active migratory bird nests are protected, and authorization is required to intentionally take an active migratory bird nest. An active nest is a nest with viable eggs and/or chicks present. No permit is needed to destroy an inactive nest – a nest without viable eggs or chicks – provided the nest is not retained in possession. The nest must be torn down and left on the ground or be disposed of,” according to Koches.
“Great blue herons can nest as early as November/December in some parts of Florida, but typically we consider January the beginning of nesting season. Some great blue herons do migrate, others are year-round residents. However, an individual bird is protected if the species is listed, regardless of biological migratory behaviors,” according to Koches.
“If a property owner wishes to remove an inactive migratory bird nest, we recommend removing the nest and, if appropriate, the nesting substrate, such as the tree, prior to eggs being laid. If eggs and/or chicks are present in the nest, we recommend waiting until chicks fledge. For great blue herons, that is about 90-120 days from when eggs are laid to chicks fledging. A permit is required for the purposeful take of an active migratory bird nest,” according to Koches.
FWC response
On Wednesday, Dec. 9, The Sun received a similar email response from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Public Information Officer Bryce Phillippi.
“All wild north American avifauna are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Florida’s native bird species are further protected by Rule 68A-16 of the Florida Administrative Code,” Phillippi wrote.
“The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits the take (including killing, capturing, selling, trading and transport) of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at any time of year. Active nests (that include eggs or dependent chicks) are also protected. These conditions are adopted in the Florida Administrative Code under Rule 68A-16,” Phillippi wrote.
“Great blue herons nest starting in January through mid-summer. Nest building or courting can begin in late December. Most great blue herons in Florida are resident and will remain here year-round. Some individuals from northern populations may migrate to Florida in the winter,” Phillippi wrote.
More information about the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act is available at the USFWS website.
