I am doing research on great blue heron eggs and am climbing to collect them. The nest are roughly 80-110 feet up and mainly in sycamores and beeches. I climbed for them last year and collected so I have a good idea of how it will work this time around. We had a pole that someone built to reach the nest that we couldn't get to in person. Right now we are using a pool cleaning pole that extends 8- 20 or so feet with a net mounted sideways to scoop the eggs. Any suggestions on improving it would be great.
Egg collecting
- Thread starter PurdueJoe
- Start date
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
What about making up a unit that will pick up the eggs. A spring loaded finger.
There are tools made for grabbing cans off of the top shelves in the kitchen/pantry. A duckbill looking thing. It would be simple enough to adapt the fingers to any pole. You could have a net or padded container to place the eggs in which you would place in the nest, grab the eggs and put them in the container and then lift it back over to you.
Do you wear breathing filters or SCBA when you do that work? Some of those rookeries have so much fecal matter around them that it isn't safe to breath the air.
There are tools made for grabbing cans off of the top shelves in the kitchen/pantry. A duckbill looking thing. It would be simple enough to adapt the fingers to any pole. You could have a net or padded container to place the eggs in which you would place in the nest, grab the eggs and put them in the container and then lift it back over to you.
Do you wear breathing filters or SCBA when you do that work? Some of those rookeries have so much fecal matter around them that it isn't safe to breath the air.
TheTreeSpyder
Branched out member
- Location
- Florida>>> USA
Also, might check into a light bulb changer or lacrosse looking fruit basket/picker on a pole. i stay away from nests that have birds with 3'+ wingspan 'buzzing' around. For having hollow bones; birds can have lots of attitude as well as altitude!
- Location
- Seattle, WA
Hey Joe,
I collected eggs back in the late 70's from about qa dozen rookleries here in Washington State. I also used a pole that I made with a cup on the end. The light bulb basket or fruit picker is a good idea.
Some of the climbing I did back then was super hairy! Of course it was all on spurs but the darn nest were sometimes in tiny branches and very difficult to get to. I climbed bigger trees nearby and swung over in some case but my pole saved me!
I had huge birds buzzing me and shitting on me...and the noise they made! It was wild almost prehistoric.
We were looking at egg shell thickness related to DDT. What is your researcher looking at?
Good luck.
Scott
I collected eggs back in the late 70's from about qa dozen rookleries here in Washington State. I also used a pole that I made with a cup on the end. The light bulb basket or fruit picker is a good idea.
Some of the climbing I did back then was super hairy! Of course it was all on spurs but the darn nest were sometimes in tiny branches and very difficult to get to. I climbed bigger trees nearby and swung over in some case but my pole saved me!
I had huge birds buzzing me and shitting on me...and the noise they made! It was wild almost prehistoric.
We were looking at egg shell thickness related to DDT. What is your researcher looking at?
Good luck.
Scott
Scott,
We are testing for heavy metals, pecticides etc. The idea is to see if the higher amount contaminates reduces reproductive success. Our control colonies are here around the wabash and down southern IN while the test colonies are up around chicago area where its more industralized. Yeah, the nests are way up there on some pretty small wood. As for the birds, herons are pretty calm and fly away when we are climbing so I dont have to worry about getting my eyes pecked out plus thats what PPE is for. The great thing about it no clean up when done climbing and the grad student I'm working for is pretty easy on the eyes. Thanks for the info from everyone.
Joe
We are testing for heavy metals, pecticides etc. The idea is to see if the higher amount contaminates reduces reproductive success. Our control colonies are here around the wabash and down southern IN while the test colonies are up around chicago area where its more industralized. Yeah, the nests are way up there on some pretty small wood. As for the birds, herons are pretty calm and fly away when we are climbing so I dont have to worry about getting my eyes pecked out plus thats what PPE is for. The great thing about it no clean up when done climbing and the grad student I'm working for is pretty easy on the eyes. Thanks for the info from everyone.
Joe
TheTreeSpyder
Branched out member
- Location
- Florida>>> USA
Went to HS in Wabash; glad to hear the river is being looked after. Also did a few years at Purdue; in a place called (West) LayFlat, InDiana. /forum/images/graemlins/bigeyes.gif
Joe,
Would you be against doing the Brown County climb on Monday so I can hit the Urban tree care forum? If not it's cool either way. Also i'm gonna ask around at home to see if anyone has any ideas on a device to help us out. Also if you could take some measurements of the rigging device so I have some idea of what you used.
Would you be against doing the Brown County climb on Monday so I can hit the Urban tree care forum? If not it's cool either way. Also i'm gonna ask around at home to see if anyone has any ideas on a device to help us out. Also if you could take some measurements of the rigging device so I have some idea of what you used.
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