Great Blue Heron Rookery at Fairhaven Marine Park
Oil on Canvas
36" x 48"
2020
36" x 48"
2020
The only known Great Blue Heron colony in Bellingham is located at Post Point by Marine Park in Fairhaven. The rookery was originally established in 2000 after a colony from Chuckanut Bay was flushed out for a housing development, and the number of nests rose again in 2017 when another flushed colony from Samish Island came to Bellingham. Great Blue Herons likely choose Post Point because of the surrounding landscape, which includes freshwater, marine shoreline, wetlands, and roost trees. In 2018, the number of active, documented heron nests at the Post Point rookery had grown to 44. So far, the herons present at Post Point have been tolerant of the nearby residential neighborhood, an off-leash dog park, pedestrian trails, a railroad, and the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The construction of a sixth water clarifier at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant encroached on 5,790 square feet of the heron colony protective buffer zone (Zemke 2011). Despite this disturbance, the herons returned to nest during the following breeding season. In 2018, a proposal by Herb Ershig to the City of Bellingham threatened to develop a residential property directly adjacent to the colony, which would result in further intrusion into the buffer zone and the removal of wind-blocking trees. This proposal was withdrawn, possibly due to public outcry spurred by Jamie Donaldson, but the land is not permanently protected from future development. In fact, another proposal emerged at the beginning of 2020 “to sub-divide the last large undeveloped property on Shorewood Drive and build two houses just outside the 197-[foot] buffer,” which has not been adjusted to account for potential change in nest sites since 2018 (Donaldson 2019).
This painting superimposes the 2018 residential development proposal and the wastewater treatment blueprint on the Post Point Great Blue Heron Colony. The heron rookery is composed of individuals who have taken refuge from previous human disturbances, and it is not known if or when they will decide it is unsafe to breed at Post Point due to human disturbance. Therefore, it is essential for the City of Bellingham to take action to obtain all the undeveloped land surrounding the heron colony by purchase or donation to create a protected reserve for the Great Blue Herons to thrive.
The construction of a sixth water clarifier at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant encroached on 5,790 square feet of the heron colony protective buffer zone (Zemke 2011). Despite this disturbance, the herons returned to nest during the following breeding season. In 2018, a proposal by Herb Ershig to the City of Bellingham threatened to develop a residential property directly adjacent to the colony, which would result in further intrusion into the buffer zone and the removal of wind-blocking trees. This proposal was withdrawn, possibly due to public outcry spurred by Jamie Donaldson, but the land is not permanently protected from future development. In fact, another proposal emerged at the beginning of 2020 “to sub-divide the last large undeveloped property on Shorewood Drive and build two houses just outside the 197-[foot] buffer,” which has not been adjusted to account for potential change in nest sites since 2018 (Donaldson 2019).
This painting superimposes the 2018 residential development proposal and the wastewater treatment blueprint on the Post Point Great Blue Heron Colony. The heron rookery is composed of individuals who have taken refuge from previous human disturbances, and it is not known if or when they will decide it is unsafe to breed at Post Point due to human disturbance. Therefore, it is essential for the City of Bellingham to take action to obtain all the undeveloped land surrounding the heron colony by purchase or donation to create a protected reserve for the Great Blue Herons to thrive.
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Bower, John. March 2020. Advising Conversation.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Good News for the Post Point Herons...For Now.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/entry/good-news-for-the-post-point-herons..-for-now/writer/3206. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Protect the Great Blue Heron Colony.” Northwest Citizen, nwcitizen.com/page/herons. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Update on Protection for the Post Point Great Blue Heron Colony.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/writer/3206/Jamie%20K.%20Donaldson. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “We Have Failed to Adequately Protect Bellingham’s Great Blue Herons.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/entry/we-have-failed-to-adequately-protect-bellinghams-great-blue-herons/writer/3206. Accessed June 2020.
Eissinger, Anna. 2016. “Post Point Heron Colony: 2016 Monitoring Annual Report.” Nahkeeta Northwest Wildlife Services. The City of Bellingham Public Works, www.cob.org/Documents/pw/environment/restoration/Annual%20Report%202016.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Eissinger, Anna. 2019. “Post Point Heron Colony Management Recommendations Update 2019.” Nahkeeta Northwest Wildlife Services. The City of Bellingham Department of Public Works, https://www.cob.org/Documents/pw/environment/restoration/2019-post-point-heron-mgmt-update.pdf. Accessed June 2020.
Relyea, Kie. 2019. “‘Do It Now,’ Residents Tell Bellingham as They Push for Reserve for These Iconic Birds.” Bellingham Herald, 2019, www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article235195987.html. Accessed June 2020.
Routhe, Rory. 2011. “Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements.” Land Use Application: 200 McKenzie Avenue. The City of Bellingham Finance, https://www.cob.org/documents/pw/utilities/ppwwtp/shoreline-application-march%20-2011.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Taysi, Ali. 2018. Notice of Application: 20 Shorewood Drive. AVT Consulting. The City of Bellingham Planning and Community Development, https://www.cob.org/gov/dept/pcd/Lists/notices/Attachments/3559/Notice-of-Application-SUB2018-0045-CAP2018-0059.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Zemke, Lizzie. 2011. “Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements.” ESA. The City of Bellingham Public Works, https://www.cob.org/documents/pw/utilities/ppwwtp/pp-wwtp-mitigation-plan-june-2011.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Good News for the Post Point Herons...For Now.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/entry/good-news-for-the-post-point-herons..-for-now/writer/3206. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Protect the Great Blue Heron Colony.” Northwest Citizen, nwcitizen.com/page/herons. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “Update on Protection for the Post Point Great Blue Heron Colony.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/writer/3206/Jamie%20K.%20Donaldson. Accessed June 2020.
Donaldson, Jamie K. 2019. “We Have Failed to Adequately Protect Bellingham’s Great Blue Herons.” Northwest Citizen, https://nwcitizen.com/entry/we-have-failed-to-adequately-protect-bellinghams-great-blue-herons/writer/3206. Accessed June 2020.
Eissinger, Anna. 2016. “Post Point Heron Colony: 2016 Monitoring Annual Report.” Nahkeeta Northwest Wildlife Services. The City of Bellingham Public Works, www.cob.org/Documents/pw/environment/restoration/Annual%20Report%202016.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Eissinger, Anna. 2019. “Post Point Heron Colony Management Recommendations Update 2019.” Nahkeeta Northwest Wildlife Services. The City of Bellingham Department of Public Works, https://www.cob.org/Documents/pw/environment/restoration/2019-post-point-heron-mgmt-update.pdf. Accessed June 2020.
Relyea, Kie. 2019. “‘Do It Now,’ Residents Tell Bellingham as They Push for Reserve for These Iconic Birds.” Bellingham Herald, 2019, www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article235195987.html. Accessed June 2020.
Routhe, Rory. 2011. “Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements.” Land Use Application: 200 McKenzie Avenue. The City of Bellingham Finance, https://www.cob.org/documents/pw/utilities/ppwwtp/shoreline-application-march%20-2011.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Taysi, Ali. 2018. Notice of Application: 20 Shorewood Drive. AVT Consulting. The City of Bellingham Planning and Community Development, https://www.cob.org/gov/dept/pcd/Lists/notices/Attachments/3559/Notice-of-Application-SUB2018-0045-CAP2018-0059.pdf. Accessed May 2020.
Zemke, Lizzie. 2011. “Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements.” ESA. The City of Bellingham Public Works, https://www.cob.org/documents/pw/utilities/ppwwtp/pp-wwtp-mitigation-plan-june-2011.pdf. Accessed May 2020.