By Kristina Pritchett
The falconer will return to two of Dana Point’s beaches this summer to deter seagulls.
Last summer, the company Harris’s Hawks was used for three months during a demonstration project to provide beach water quality improvements at Monarch and Salt Creek beaches. The hawks deterred seagulls from congregating in the area and contributing bacteria.
At Salt Creek, the city operates an ozone treatment facility that treats dry weather flows at the outlet for bacteria and potential pathogens.
According to a statement, the city has made vast improvements in water quality, but natural processes like bird droppings and other environmental factors come into play before the water flow reaches the beach.
The project was scheduled to start the first week of May and will continue through October. The falconer will be on site every day for the first two weeks from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and then will reduce to five days a week for a month and a half, then go to three or four days a week to remain effective.
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