It is important here in summer that we not be out afield where we can cause
tics to make a bad choice and get on our clothes rather than on their
important food sources which nature provided for them. Millions of tics die
every year because thoughtless persons....out ticking....(not knowing)
distrubted them and caused them to be disturbed from their niche in nature.
This is the time of year when none of us should be out birding. Too many
butterflies to be disturbed from their feeding habits. Especially those
feeding on dog dung along trails and at mud puddles which are mostly where
birders walk.
It is ok to bird from car windows as long as you avoid driving into mudholes
where butterflies are congregating for important nutrients.
Christmas Bird Counts should be conducted only from paved roads and paved
trails in winter. Many small mammals have nests in the grass. They should
not be disturbed by those who are walking over their runways and that is
particularly true for moles, voles and shrews.
Never, never, never go in the woods from January to May when many of our
large owls like Great Horned Owls are busy trying to incubate eggs in
January and February and they do not need to be disturbed from their nests.
My March and April they have and sometimes have to provision for them by day
when food is really scarce. They do not need us nearby to keep them away
from their nests and starving babies.
Never go near where Woodcocks are attempting to lure mates with their mating
flights and calls. This is a very critical season and activity for their
survival. Even after most of them stop calling you might step on a nest and
eggs and never know that happened. Most birders do things they did not know
were problems. They wouldn't do them otherwise.
Particularly, you must stay out of areas where hunters are hunting Wild
Turkey in the spring, using calls both vocal and mechanical -- even on
federal and state land. You might get injured. The calls are being used
legally and approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, state
agencies and anyone else who has authority to set seasons and provide
hunting. Even if the section of the Federal law says you can't use tapes or
touch them. You may kill them and that is good. Using calls to lure wild
turkey so they can be shot is both ethical, reasonable and needed -- sound
biology and wildlife management for "harvesting" the surplus which keeps our
nature in balance.
Never go birding on rainy days along trails. This is a time when many of
us, looking up for birds, unknowingly step on salamanders which are abroad
at day and you may kill mother salamanders who have eggs.
Always be home from all birding trips before sunset in the late winter and
early fall when Spotted Salamanders, Wood Frogs and other creatures are
migrating to vernal pools to nest. Thousands of them are run over by
uncaring and unthinking birders who accidentaly drive over the warm, wet
roads killing many of them. If you are caught in a situation like this,
park your car in a safe place immediately. Stay there until after dawn.
Otherwise you will scare foxes which come to such places to prey upon the
migrating creatures -- an important food supply for them.
And remember, always take your suet, sunflower seed and niger seed feeders
down no later than Sept. 1 each year so you will not cause any birds to not
migrate at an appropriate time and become too late in their departure for
their wintering ground.
Do not disturb grasshoppers in their native habitat. You will cause them to
fly more than necessary and expose them to many of the preadators who are
waiting to catch baby grasshoppers and adults alike.
Always be ethical about all wildlife.....do not intrude in their breeding
areas and do not go out "ticking" or birding or being passive when wildlife
can hardly afford your thoughtless disturbance and intrusion.
Respectfully,
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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