[texbirds] Re: Call for Bolivar protection/1300-1500 LETE flock

From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2013 21:40:00 -0400 (EDT)
Winnie, great information, thanks. I stopped to talk (write) about the  
problem with people multiplying so fast and taking over what left from the land 
 available for other species. I just do not want to sound like I am against 
 humanity and their right to reproduction. It seems that people have to 
find out  the consequences by themselves in the near future. Too bad that so 
much damage  will be done that is not repairable. If somebody think that 
people can live like  ants in colonies, good luck. I wonât be around to see 
it 
but have imagination;  scary enough. 
 
Predation is a problem but in my opinion (have some interesting  
documentation) this is also tied with too many people coming to the beach and  
leaving 
too much trash attracting gulls, raccoons etc. Small colony of nesting  
LETE wouldnât support even a few predators (like raccoons) longer then few  
days.
 
And ghosts crabs do not eat ternâs eggs or chicks. Study was done.   
WOLCOTT and WOLCOTT âHIGH MORTALITY OF PIPING PLOVERS ON BEACHES WITH 
ABUNDANT  
GHOST CRABS: CORRELATION, NOT CAUSATIONâ.  BTW LETE eggs and chicks are  much 
bigger.
 
You are also right that there is a lot of subjects that cannot be discuss  
here for many reasons. Talk about LETE - I am a game. I will make time if I 
have  none. 
 
Perhaps no subject for a separate post but I take my hat off to people who  
do all bird counts (and do it right). I just never have time to do that and 
 count only sporadically, and only birds I need their count. Counting LETEs 
might  be a fun for me but it is not easy. Bolivar Peninsula have several 
places when  they stop during migration (Bolivar flats is just on of them). 
Like here I had  about 1300-1500 (probably more but I always prefer lowest 
number to be safe)  just in one flock - incredible sight, perhaps to me. On 
this photo only a small  flock fraction is shown. Still about 170 fits inside 
the frame (somebody wants  exact count - do it yourself; I got enough of 
counting during last month or so)  plus a few plovers, sanderlings, dunlins 
etc. So perhaps fun thing to  do - how many LETEs are there (in photo). 
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149612590/original
 
Hard to keep posting without even one photo:)
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
 
 
In a message dated 4/9/2013 5:29:18 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
wbburkett@xxxxxxx writes:
Mark you have once again touched on a lot of issues and it is difficult  if 
not impossible to get into all of them here. From my point of view the  
biggest problem Least Terns and all other birds have is too many people. More  
and more people move to Houston every day and most want to go to the beach.  
They need education and we as people who care about birds need to be part 
of  that effort every day we are in the field.
 
I started working to protect Bolivar Flats Least Terns in 1992. Posting  
the colony worked well and talking to beach goers and fishermen was very  
satisfying. Then the raccoons and coyotes figured out what was going on and  
reproductive success went down. Least Terns have lots of predator problems not  
just mammals. Laughing Gulls and grackles get the eggs and chicks. I have  
heard even ghost crabs eat them. Houston Audubon has an intern who will be  
looking for nesting Least Terns,  protecting nesting locations and  
educating the public. You could help with this effort by donating to their  
Intern 
Fund.
 
The years after Ike were actually very good for Least Terns as large  areas 
on the peninsula were covered with sand (perfect for Least Tern nesting)  
and predator numbers were knocked back by the storm surge. Grass has grown 
and  predator population has increased things keep changing.
 
As a Bolivar Peninsula property owner and sanctuary manager for Houston  
Audubon I have been very involved in hurricane recovery on the peninsula. Yes  
there is money for a fishing pier in Gilchrist it comes from FEMA to  
compensate for recreational opportunities lost due to Ike and cleanup. It will  
be a great place for birding too, but each year that building is delayed the  
money builds less. 
 
I am on the board of a Bolivar Peninsula non-profit whose goal is  
rebuilding the peninsula economy while protecting its natural resources.  You 
see 
the peninsula will rebuild wether we like it or not, that is  unless we can 
find millions of dollars to buy up the land and  protect. Protecting the 
natural resources is supported by many Bolivar  residents and businesses as 
they 
know that is why people come to the  peninsula.
 
I would be happy to sit down and talk to you about all these issues if  you 
have the time. It is really too complicated for this forum.
 
 
Winnie  Burkett
Friendswood & the Bolivar  Peninsula





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[texbirds] Re: Call for Bolivar protection/1300-1500 LETE flock

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