[Bristol-Birds] Re: Disturbing information

Hey Bill,
     Ideas have lives of their own.  There is a set of unexamined cultural 
beliefs and assumptions that keep certain attitudes current.  Some of the 
nicest people I have ever met would not hesitate to at least consider killing 
anything that causes them to lose money or property (like a woodpecker damaging 
their house, for instance), or that is perceived to be a threat whether true or 
imagined.  Any other way of looking at the situation is often derided as 
"impractical".  I think all of us were raised with some element of that 
outlook, perhaps expressed in a different situation.  How many of us tolerate 
all insects?  Or for that matter, Starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds.  Same 
thing. Just more examples of the "them versus us" mindset to which we are all 
susceptible.  That mindset allows all of us to justify doing unsavory things in 
our effort to do good for us and ours.  How do we deal with this?  I wish I 
knew.  I know trying to tell others what to do will not help, but set
 ting an example might.  Seeing the best in others, like tolerance, generosity, 
and compassion, might encourage them in that direction.  I guess for now the 
best I know to do is to be aware of the "me versus them" tendency in myself, 
and try to avoid its worst expressions.  Do no harm, judge not, do unto others 
as you would have done to you, turn the other cheek,...These and other wisdom 
teachings are all firewalls against the potential horrors of unenlightened 
self-interest.  I  can at least imagine the day when our wisdom becomes second 
nature.  But personally, I still can't tolerate centipedes. :-)
 
Don Holt
Johnson City, TN
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Cawood <b_cawood@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Bristol Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:54:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Disturbing information

To all.
Today while conversing with an acqauintance the topic turned to birds.  Not the 
normal way however.  The conversation took place in a sports and gun shop.  One 
fella said he had seen an American Woodcock on his farm.  We talked about the 
differences btw woodcock and snipe a little and then the conversation turned 
for 
the worse.  I was asked what I thought about the following scenario;  A hunter 
last year reported that his turkey decoy had been hit, picked up and carried 15 
feet or so by a red tailed hawk.  The man was not keen on red-tails to say the 
least,,, Any thoughts?  I was asked about Hawks in general and their 
relationship with game animals such as quail, turkeys, rabbits and squirrels.  
I 
tried to relate that any animals taken by the hawks were small in number 
compared to those lost due to habitat destruction,  pollution after effects and 
feral pets.. The group (3-4 men by now) agreed that ferals were taking many 
many 
animals.  Stories ranged from kestrels taking dov
 es and
 squirrels to red tails taking "all" the quail and rabbits....  I was bothered 
by this, anyone have any thoughts?
Then the conversation turned to great blue herons.  The concensus was that 
herons were killing all the game fish, especially those in fish ponds.  After 
explaining that the herons were not cranes or storks, we agreed that other than 
the occasional fish pond raid, herons were "ok" birds...  
 
I hadn't heard these  ideas in years and had thought that they had become a 
thing of the past.  
 
Bill Cawood, BSG VA

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*************************************************
       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications 
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.  
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You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
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       Wallace Coffey, Moderator
         wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-****

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