THE COLONY, Texas — The Colony has stepped up efforts to prevent egrets from nesting in its neighborhoods. Federal law prevents anyone from disturbing egrets once they have found trees to nest.
"Last year was bad. Last year was very bad," said Jackie Kopsa, who is the Parks Manager for the The Colony.
This year the city provided packages for neighbors along Pemberton Lane where hundreds of egrets nested in 2018. Inside those packages were special balloons decorated to mimic eyes of predatory birds. Also, mylar tape was also sent in the packages which park crews hope will scare off the birds.
"I'm ready this year," one neighbor said. "They're not coming back this year."
The Colony also installed speakers in the trees along Pemberton Lane. It is a continuous loop of distressed bird calls that park crews hope will deter egrets from nesting in the nearby trees.
The Parks Department says the efforts have so far been effective because most all of the neighbors are on-board. Trimming down the canopy has made the biggest difference. Meanwhile, parks crews have been driving through the neighborhood to ensure the trees are nest-free.