Tudor Wharf Draft Environmental Impact Report EOEA # 6744 



the pilings. The distance between mean high 

 water and the deck of the existing structure 

 allows the herons to utilize the area 

 throughout the entire day and not be forced 

 to relocate according to the tide schedule. 



Other Overwintering Roosting Sites 



LEG conducted a visual inspection of the 

 Inner Harbor area by boat on February 26, 

 1988. The purpose of this site evaluation 

 was to determine if other areas were utilized 

 as roosting sites within the Inner Harbor. 

 Herons sightings were made at other locations 

 near the confluence of the Charles and Mystic 

 Rivers, across the river from Tudor Wharf and 

 under the Charles River Bridge on the day of 

 the LEC site visit. 



Seasonal Distribution 



Breeding Areas 



Black-crowned night herons are widely 

 distributed throughout Massachusetts during 

 the breeding season. The majority of the 

 herons, in the Boston Harbor area, breed on 

 the outer islands; Middle Brewster, Outer 

 Brewster, Calf Island and Spectacle Island 

 (Hatch 1982, see Appendix A). These areas 

 provide suitable nesting habitat and minimal 

 disturbance from human activities. Although 

 this heron is highly adapted to areas of 

 human activity they prefer more secluded 

 surroundings during the breeding season; 

 early April through August. Some birds 

 occasionally utilize the Boston Harbor area 

 for feeding areas during the breeding season. 



Roosting Areas 



Black-crowned night herons are distributed 

 throughout the Boston Harbor area during the 

 non-breeding season. Habitats provide 

 loafing and roosting sites for these birds 

 primarily during periods of inactivity and 

 during the non-breeding season (Jeremy Hatch, 



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