Tudor Wharf Draft Environmental Impact Report EOEA # 6744 



Lelito Environmental Consultants (LEC) was 

 retained by Fort Point Associates to conduct 

 an evaluation to determine the significance 

 of Tudor Wharf to the existing heron 

 population in Charlestown, Massachusetts 

 (Figure 1) . The Charlestown Bridge is 

 located to the west of the site; the Charles 

 River to the south; Constitutional Marina to 

 the east; and. Water Street to the north. A 

 portion of the existing building extends over 

 the Charles River and is supported by timber 

 pilings. These pilings currently serve as 

 roosting and loafing sites for a locally 

 common species of heron: the black-crowned 

 night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) . In 

 order to accurately assess potential impacts 

 to this resource, a detailed investigation 

 into the natural history, seasonal 

 distribution, and habitat use of the black- 

 crowned night heron in Boston Harbor, with 

 particular emphasis on the importance of 

 Tudor Wharf, was conducted by LEC. The 

 following report outlines LEC's findings. 



Introduction 



The ecology and natural history of the black- 

 crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 

 have not been researched as extensively as 

 other species of wildlife. Current knowledge 

 is largely limited to the original studies 

 conducted by Gross (1923), Nobel (1938), and 

 Noble and Wurm (1942) . More contemporary 

 investigators have been concerned with the 

 effects of organochlorides on nest success 

 (Custer 1983), distribution (Wolford and 

 Erwin 1971, Custer 1982) , and nest site 

 selection (McCrimmon 1978, Davis 1986). This 

 report will review the current knowledge of 

 the breeding biology and resource needs of 

 the black-crowned night heron and discuss the 

 local distribution and habitat use of these 

 birds in the Boston Harbor area. Special 

 appreciation is given here to Dr. Jeremy 

 Hatch of the Department of Biology, 

 University of Massachusetts, for his 

 assistance and unselfish disclosure of 

 information. 



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