Arlington neighborhood wins battle against egrets

One year makes a big difference for people in a north Arlington neighborhood battling nesting egrets.

The neighborhood was commandeered by egrets in 2017 for their rookery. But this year, the neighborhood had a lookout and they won the battle.

“Just a blessing,” said resident Buzz Sommers. “As you can imagine, near a miracle for what you have to go through to make sure they don't come back."

Arlington provided neighbors with air horns, balloons and other non-lethal resources to scare egrets away before they nest. Once they've nested, they're protected by a federal migratory bird law that also protects birds like herons and cranes.

"It was just nasty,” resident Norma Crader said of last year. “Got ahead of it this year, got balloons, we got streamers."

Residents in the Arlington neighborhood fought off the egrets for about five weeks.

“They still fly over here overnight around sunset,” Sommers said. “All basic kinds, not just the little white egrets. They keep on going now... probably The Colony, I don't know.”

That's no joke, as a neighborhood in The Colony is dealing with an egret problem this year. The droppings make a terrible mess and the smell is even harder to take.

Arlington Animal Control says The Colony is too far for those to be the same birds.

"Hopefully these birds have moved to a creek or up along the river somewhere where they belong,” said Ray Rentschler, Arlington Animal Control.