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Bird nest counts on Alligator Lake have declined to half what they were 14 years ago, according to a recent report to the City of Safety Harbor by local resident Sandy Huff, who participates in an annual survey for the Audubon Society of Florida.

Huff attributes most of the decline to changes in the lake’s islands and warns that what was once a colony of more than 500 waterbird nests is in danger.

“I see the problem as a lack of good strong trees as nesting sites. For some reason, the two islands in Alligator Lake are shrinking and sinking,” Huff said. “The smaller island is only about a third of its size back when I first started canoeing around it, which was probably about 1990.

“The larger island is turning to marsh — lots more cattails around the perimeter, and the inner ‘high ground’ simply is not very high. In fact, it’s now very wet, mushy ground.”

Huff has sent the results to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, but suggests the city might want to consider attempting to add fill to increase the size and stability of the islands or install some kind of wooden supports to mimic the dead tree trunks that once were prime nesting sites, but have either fallen or lost most of their limbs.

“For years we had a thick forest of 6-10 foot elderberries on the interior of both islands. These spindly little trees were actually old enough to have thick trunks that would support even Great Blue Heron nests. These are declining, too,” Huff said.

A group of volunteers about 10 years ago planted a dozen young trees — red bay, maples and oaks — but the survivors are weighted down with air potato and Chinese lantern vines, she said.

The lake level has not changed, because it is controlled by a dam, Huff noted. The lake was formed by the construction of the dam in the late 1940s. Previously the creek meandered through a swampy tidal area.

“It’s a shame to lose our outstanding nesting colony,” Huff said. “Many people in Safety Harbor don’t even know about the 500+ nests on the two islands, but they enjoy watching the birds that roost and breed there.”