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Nesting egrets create cleaning conundrum at Brackenridge Park

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by Eric Gonzales / KENS 5

Bio | Email | Follow: @ricericgonzales

kens5.com

Posted on June 29, 2012 at 6:33 PM

Updated Friday, Jun 29 at 6:41 PM

SAN ANTONIO -- Egrets have invaded Brackenridge Park for their annual nesting season, but it happens at a time when city leaders say the park is experiencing an influx of visitors.

Kelly Irvin of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department says egrets come to the park every year.

"They're a migratory bird so they have a nesting site in Brackenridge Park," Irvin said.

The birds arrived at Easter and we'll be gone by Labor Day.

In the meantime, while the birds nest at the park, there's a growing concern surrounding the accumulation of trash because the birds are endangered. Making matters more difficult, the only way the park can be cleaned is by hand so that their habitat isn't disrupted.

"The egrets are a federally protected bird and so we're not able to disturb their site," Irvin said.

Sheila Harrington rescues egrets and makes several trips to the park on a weekly basis in order to clean up.

"They can't come with pressure washers or any industrial stuff because that would scare them," Harrington said. "They can only come out with shovels or brooms. They can't do any type of tree trimming or anything like that this time of year."

When Harrington visits the park, she often scoops birds out of the water that have fallen from the trees above. After drying them off, she gives them a boost back into the wild.

Unfortunately, not every bird will survive, resulting in occasional deaths.

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