I wrote a pretty strong post to the local social media groups today about the shenanigans that happened the night of the 4th. The men firing off the fireworks started an hour before dark and didn't finish until after midnight. By the time they were through, hundreds of Cliff swallow nests were abandoned leaving nestling and young fledglings behind to die. The noise also scared the Ospreys so much that they abandoned their eggs and now only show up once or maybe twice a day to the platform. I havent' seen the female in days, only the male. Oh, and yes, I know that they laid eggs very late in the season and the chance that they would have successfully raised a brood, was slim, but still.
I probably was just wasting my time and will get a lot of nasty feedback, but I am honestly angry. I didn't post sooner because I've had out of state company and didn't get down to the Cliff Swallow nests to see what happened there until today. I also needed to calm down, and having family visiting helped.
Pauli Smith
Highlandlake/Mead, Weld County, CO
I'm angry, and I think I have every right to be.
To the boys—and yes, some grown men—who decided illegal fireworks at Highland Lake on the Fourth of July were worth the thrill: your few minutes of entertainment came with consequences.
Your fireworks terrified the pair of Ospreys nesting at the lake. They abandoned their nest, leaving eggs that will never hatch. Those potential chicks are gone because someone decided the rules didn't apply to them.
The explosions also sent hundreds of Cliff Swallow nestlings, fledglings, and their parents into panic beneath the fishing pier, where they were trying to raise their young. Wildlife doesn't understand that the noise will eventually stop. They only know that a predator—or what sounds like one—has arrived, and their instinct is to flee.
Watching those Ospreys successfully accept and adopt my new nesting platform has been one of the highlights of living in Highlandlake. Seeing this nesting season end because of someone's reckless choices is heartbreaking.
I understand that people want to celebrate. I understand that kids like excitement. But celebrating should never come at the expense of living creatures or the law.
This wasn't simply inconsiderate. It wasn't just a violation of Mead's fireworks restrictions or Weld County regulations.
I spoke with Colorado Parks and Wildlife after the incident. They confirmed that Ospreys and Cliff Swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Disturbing protected nesting birds during the breeding season is exactly the kind of conduct these federal wildlife laws are intended to prevent.
Have all the fun you want—but do it legally. Don't endanger your neighbors, don't ignore the rules that are in place to protect our community, and don't destroy wildlife that cannot defend itself.
Freedom has always come with responsibility. Respect for our community includes respect for the creatures that share it.
This wasn't harmless fun.
It was preventable. It was unnecessary. And for the Ospreys and Cliff Swallows that were simply trying to raise their young, the consequences were permanent.
The Crabby Old Woman of Highlandlake
