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Coleen Perilloux Landry | all galleries >> Galleries >> Louisiana Rookery of the Great White Egret > The Rookery is Empty - I Lost the Battle - 2010
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1 March 2010 Coleen Perilloux Landry

The Rookery is Empty - I Lost the Battle - 2010

The company that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers hired was in the rookery with labrador retrievers to scare the egrets away. The dogs were in the water retrieving sticks that the man threw to frighten the birds. I wonder if they know there are at least 10 alligators in here big enough to eat a dog.
At dusk and dawn they fired guns with whistling sounds and shot flares to scare the egrets away. There will not be any nesting in this rookery this year. It has been a continuous rookery for the past 40 years. I won't even quote the price that the Corps is paying this company to do this--hundreds of thousands of our taxpayer money.
The company will continue to do this until they think the threat of an egret returning is over.
The Times Picayune is doing an article on this during the week.


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rckimaging30-Jul-2010 22:19
Wow: I was unaware, Thanks for sharing your photos and story. What a loss,
Claude 13-Mar-2010 17:02
I've seen the same thing happen at Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge. Birds were driven off nests with eggs in them, in the middle of the night,and didn't return. It was supposedly done by locals tired of putting up with the photographers on a public road. It was an internationally known site. As of 2010 the birds haven't returned to those nests.
Cynthia 10-Mar-2010 17:28
The article posted on March 7, 2010 in the T.P. So nice of the TP reporters to inform the public after the fact. Do they really care?
Karen Stuebing03-Mar-2010 12:52
So the last hold outs were driven away. I mean I don't even know how someone could do a job like that. How do they rationalize chasing those gorgeous birds and live with themselves? Sorry for the rant.
Maralee 02-Mar-2010 14:25
I'm so sad for those beautiful birds. I just don't understand how such an important breading ground can be lost.
A J Adams02-Mar-2010 13:15
This site is diminished without the egret pairs.
John Lester02-Mar-2010 12:27
And the buffalo herds use to blacken the prairie. Not to mention the passenger pigeons.
Neal Nye02-Mar-2010 12:22
So disgusting! I'm going to have to keep my eye open for that article.
Yvonne02-Mar-2010 06:20
Sad to hear that Coleen, its a very pretty haven and they'll surely return when they think its safe again...but sad state of affairs after all your work.
Guest 02-Mar-2010 02:09
The birds will come back, the corps will give up thinking that they have won, nature has a way of renewing itself. Unfortunately, it will probably be some time before the scales are balanced. More government stupidity.
Cindi Smith02-Mar-2010 00:46
Why the heck are they doing this? Are they going to bulldoze it? It just makes me sick to my stomach!
pkocinski02-Mar-2010 00:21
So sad...
Chris Cox02-Mar-2010 00:17
You should have called Homeland Stupidity on them! Where is this located? CC
s_barbour02-Mar-2010 00:09
Oh what a shame Coleen...I'm sure that you did all that you could have!
Happy belated birthday my friend!
Ed Preston01-Mar-2010 23:17
So sorry Coleen! :-(
laine01-Mar-2010 22:52
I'm still wondering why ???
J. Scott Coile01-Mar-2010 22:31
The CORP usually wins. What logic???
sschex01-Mar-2010 21:52
Some threat, egrets nesting! this is disgusting. wouldn't this money be better spent on the LEVEE and not on harmless birds? So if the corp hired the contractor and paid them, what is the corp's cut of the money?
Guest 01-Mar-2010 21:47
I know you must feel a deep loss. After all you have been so close to the Egrets for such a long time. Be assured we all are touched by this tragedy. Kay