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Middle Island Rookery Project

Project Status: Complete

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays’ staff developed a unique artificial nesting structure for Great Blue Heron and Egret. The design needed to meet several criteria: It had to be cost-effective; it needed to be lightweight; it had to be able to handle the harsh conditions found in the Mid-Atlantic coastal region; and it had to look more like a tree than existing nesting structures already in use.

Basic Info about the Project:

  • Installed March 2009.
  • 28 individual nests. 
  • Total cost for materials and installation was $13,427. 
  • Cost-share provided through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) 
  • Additional funding provided by Rosemark DesignBuild. 
  • Decoys mounted to keep Ospreys away and attract Heron and Egrets. 
  • Nest baskets are made of 3/16” aluminum. 
  • Located on a privately-owned island between Indian River and Rehoboth Bay.

 

 Project Report 

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