Thousands of pelicans nest just north of the QC, but erosion is threatening the rare phenomenon

THOMSON, Sick. — Simply north of the Quad Cities, a handful of islands have gone to the birds. 

Since 1992, colonies of white pelicans started making the annual journey as much as the Mississippi River’s Lock and Dam 13. Then in 2007, the birds made historical past. 

“It was the very first nesting that we have ever seen on the principle river channel, the higher Mississippi River,” mentioned Ed Britton, the Savanna District Supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Higher Mississippi River Nationwide Wildlife and Fish Refuge. 

Within the years which have adopted, it stays the solely documented occasion of the birds nesting proper in the midst of the river’s major higher channel. To take action, the pelicans collect on massive, sandy islands. Surrounded by waves, the eggs are plopped proper onto the seaside. 

One such island, formally often known as Cormorant Island (and colloquially known as ‘Hen Poop Island’) is among the hottest. Roughly a thousand birds are likely to their younger on its barren floor, akin to a glorified sand dune, with out bushes or buildings to dam out the solar. 

“I’ve checked up and down the river and it is form of distinctive. We do not actually perceive why they’re right here,” Britton mentioned. “However they’re such majestic birds.” 

Right this moment, the native nesting colony has ballooned into the hundreds. Pelicans stick collectively in massive teams, usually sharing their nesting areas with sorts of herons, egrets, geese, and extra. 

“They used to return in late April and go away by early October, however now they’re coming in March – as quickly because the ice comes out – and so they’re staying till November,” Britton mentioned. “So I believe they discovered a house that they like.” 

Up shut, the birds had been cautious of our Information 8 cameras and reporters, however nonetheless curious. With 10-foot wingspans, billowing beaks, and a nasty technique of repelling undesirable guests (pelicans will vomit when you get too shut), the prehistoric-looking creature might be intimidating. Nonetheless, the enormous birds additionally appeal to numerous guests and onlookers to the river yearly. 

Over time, the wildlife refuge has additionally helped put up and keep a webcam on one of many nesting islands in partnership with the Stewards of the Higher Mississippi River Refuge. You possibly can verify in on the birds by way of that digicam, right here. 

“They’re actually a fairly chook,” Britton cooed, as he boated as much as one of many major nesting islands. “Quite a lot of of us come to the river to see pelicans.” 

Nonetheless, the pelicans’ river properties are being threatened a bit extra annually. 

“Now, due to the lock and dam system, the excessive water ranges, and notably the excessive flows, wind and wave velocity, it is eroded a lot of the world,” Britton mentioned.

Rising quantities of flooding and extreme climate, together with the devastating 2019 flood, have chipped away on the birds’ islands.

“At the very least half an inch per 12 months of silt is rising beneath the water,” Britton mentioned. The refuge has additionally observed elevated sedimentation alongside the shorelines, leaving the river’s islands to take the complete drive of the wind and waves. 

“And so they’re all sand so in the event that they have no riprap safety, they usually will not survive out right here,” Britton mentioned. 

In truth, two of the islands the pelicans had been nesting on have already been misplaced to the weather. 

“Woodroves Island was a a lot bigger island that was most likely 5 instances bigger and filled with bushes,” Britton remarked. “Now simply a few limbs are all that is left. That is typical of what is occurred to the islands out right here.” 

One other in style pelican publish was Gomers Island. However at the moment, all that is left of the as soon as bird-covered mound are a couple of tree limbs breaking above the waterline. 

To assist, the refuge has been working with the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers to create protected islands for the birds. In truth, it is how one of many pelicans’ favourite nesting spots got here to be. 

“That is really known as Pelican Island and you may see why,” Britton laughed, declaring a small island lined in almost a thousand large, white birds. “In 206, this was constructed by the Military Corps of Engineers.” 

When the corps dredged a close-by a part of the principle river channel, hundreds of cubic yards of sand had been pumped three miles south, to create the horseshoe-shaped island. Riprap was then positioned throughout the bottom of the mound, defending the sand from wind and waves. 

“With out some sort of riprap safety for the sand islands, they don’t seem to be going to make it in the way forward for this river,” Britton mentioned. 

In that case, the birds would both have to maneuver on to a brand new nesting floor or danger the predators lurking alongside the shorelines. 

“There’s lots of dredge materials. So this was one method to beneficially use it to offer a wildlife habitat,” Britton mentioned. 

Now, the hope is to proceed discovering artistic options to the pelican’s downside, so as to preserve these birds of a feather flocking collectively, proper in the midst of the Mississippi River, for a few years to return.