Efforts are underway by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunters and local wildlife enthusiasts in this Susquehanna River valley city to safeguard and heighten interest in one of Pennsylvania's most unique heron and egret nesting colonies.

Nestled in a grove of conifers overlooking a small manmade lake a few hundred yards from one of York's busy neighborhoods, is one of the state's largest heron and egret colonies. It also has the distinction of being the only colony in the Commonwealth where black-crowned night herons, yellow-crowned night herons and great egrets nest together. In fact, it's currently the only known nesting site for yellow-crowns in Pennsylvania.

A recent survey of the nesting colony recorded 40 black-crowned night heron nests, three great egret nests, and one yellow-crowned night heron nest. The state's largest heron and egret rookery is Wade Island, about 20 miles north of York on a three-acre Susquehanna River island near Harrisburg. A survey of Wade Island this spring turned up 171 great egret and 128 black-crown nests.

Statewide, there were 228 black-crown nests at four known sites in 2004. Great egret nests totaled 174 at two sites; and yellow-crowns had one nest at one site.

Wade Island currently is threatened by a growing nesting population of double-crested cormorants and well as shoreline erosion, which are combining to limit nesting opportunities to the established Wade colony. And it is the uncertainty associated with those problems that makes Kiwanis Lake more important than ever.

The York County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs has agreed to establish an account to fund the signage initiative and to raise money for Deckard to build a flight cage for rehabilitating injured herons and egrets, or those that leave the nest too early. The Pennsylvania Ornithological Society has agreed to donate $200. In addition, several local outdoors clubs and national conservation organizations have pledged donations in various amounts to ensure the project's success.

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8/20/2004