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A heron rookery, aflutter with Great Blue Herons, has been spotted along the Mill Creek near IKEA West Chester in Butler County, OH!
What is a rookery, you say? It is a location where more than a pair of birds nest in a group. The number of nests, birds, and bird species can vary. The rookery is easily observed looking SW from the back of the IKEA building near the edge of the parking lot, across the retention pond to the opposite side.
This is an encouraging development at the Mill Creek. The retention basin (highlighted by the green line in the map) sits in the Upper Mill Creek Watershed, where there has been a large, human-population increase over the past four decades. Land uses surrounding the basin are, primarily, commercial and light industrial. At the SW border of the pond, an edge of towering trees line the banks, offsetting a lack of tall canopy heights and foliage. The duration of this intact section of habitat is, most likely, a contributing factor to encouraging a thriving ecosystem of wildlife.
Protecting the herons. Birders have documented (using iNaturalist app) the presence of the Great Blue Heron at this location since 2017. There are 64 species of heron in the family Ardeidae. They prefer to live near water and feed on edges of marshes, lakes, and ponds. The environment of the rookery at the IKEA retention pond includes a newly planted tree buffer behind the building, the strand of tall trees on the banks of the Mill Creek, an isolated location off the beaten path, and plenty of fish; perfect for this siege of birds.
Want to take ACTION in wildlife conservation in the Mill Creek Watershed?
Cincinnati Parks & Great Parks created a local Cincinnati/Hamilton County team for City Nature Challenge 2021, a collaborative competition between cities across the world. There is nature all around us, even in our cities! Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the ONLY way to do that is by all of us – scientists, land managers, and the community – working together to find and document the nature in our area. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, from April 30 through May 3, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!
The City Nature Challenge, a bioblitz-style event, bouts cities against each other in healthy competition, to see who can:
● make the most observations of nature
● who can find the most species, and
● who can engage the most people.
The event utilizes the free iNaturalist platform (web and app) to record environmental data. In addition to City Nature Challenge 2021, participants can log photos of plants and animals they see in the Mill Creek Watershed to iNaturalist, throughout 2021. The information collected will be helpful in community programming and education, controlling invasive species, and prioritizing natural areas in need of further preservation efforts.
Your participation could make a difference!
To Get Involved:
Download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone (or take pictures with your camera and upload them later to the iNaturalist website)
Go outside! (with your phone charged and your spirit ready)
Species documented in the Mill Creek Watershed during the City Nature Challenge will automatically be added to the Cincinnati Hamilton County Project and the MCA 2021 Bioblitz. If you like, become a member of the two open projects in the iNaturalist app: