Birds Behaving Badly Have Shut Down This Michigan Pool

It's always a bummer when the weather is warm and then for whatever reason a public pool or waterpark has to close down to clean the water.

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When you have a bunch of people swimming around you will need to "Shock" the pool to remove all the excess waste and bacteria that starts to build up with use.

I remember once being at a waterpark (I won't mention which one) and the lifeguards started blowing their whistles for everyone to get out of the pool.

Turns out someone lost a used feminine product in the water.

One Michigan pool is temporarily closed but it has nothing to do with humans, Instead, it's because of dive-bombing birds.

Birds Behaving Badly Have Shut Down This Michigan Pool

The baby pool at Pier Park in Groose Point is closed until further notice due to red-winged blackbirds nesting in the area.

Red Winged Blackbirds Are Very Territorial

Male Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense.

They chase other males out of the territory and attacks nest predators, sometimes going after much larger animals, including horses and people.

Red Winged Blackbirds Were Dive Bombing People At The Pool

Lisa Duke from Michigan State University’s W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary said

"These common birds migrate back in the spring, they usually nest near water. The males keep an eye out on their nest and when they see someone approaching, they attack. They are known for their aggressive dive bombing."

 

When Will The Pool Reopen?

The baby pool at Pier Park in Groose Point will remain closed until the baby birds hatch and leave the nest, which could be in a few days or a few weeks.

While this pool is temporarily closed these are some great pools and splash pads you can check out in Grand Rapids.