Thinking of Down-sizing Our Colony: Input Appreciated

[Scully]

Unlike many folks here I operate a colony in a public venue.

The cause of my concern is the spread of virulent bird flu into Europe. I believe in the coming weeks it is likely to increasingly dominate the headlines as further outbreaks outside of France, Germany and Austria inevitably occur.

At this point of course the risk of contracting the disease from wild songbirds is very low, and only 175 people in Asia have contracted the disease out of a human population there of perhaps two billion. All of these apparently, from close contact with infected domestic fowl.

At this writing, no cases have been found in the Americas. However, I have to deal with public perceptions and fears.

Two of our gourd poles, holding 16 of our 40 gourds are located in front of the school in an area right next to a heavily-used sidewalk. Our other 24 gourds are located in a quieter area behind the school, fenced off from the normal student traffic.

My fear is that a request from a concerned party to remove the entire colony could come at any time. More news reports are very likely as migrating waterfowl return to Europe. Such a request is less likely to happen if the gourds are fewer and all contained inside fenced-off areas. Most of the gourds in front at this point appear to be occuppied, but actual nest-building wil not begin for about 10 to 14 days at the earliest.

Everyone here can understand my reluctance to remove even one gourd once the martins have arrived, but acting now would be better than having to remove the gourds later when eggs and young are present.

Opinions please.

Mike Scully

[rickluc]

I know your concerns. I work for a school corporation here in IN. There has been conversations about bird droppings.

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Mike. One has to go by ones own concience. If you feel more comfortable taking some down, then do so. If however, you decide to keep them all up, you at least have the Migratory bird act in your favor. It's illegal to tamper with nests. Plus, if you took the gourds down with babies in them, it'd kill those babies, which is illegal. One would probably be better off taking stuff down NOW, rather than later though, if that is how their concience sends them. Personally, if I had this choice to make, I'd take them down NOW, and force the PMs to find other housing. CUL Lou

[Guest]

There are plenty of things to be alarmed at in the world--bird flu in PMs is not one of them, at least yet. First the bird flu hasn't gained a foothold in the continental U.S., second, the type bird striken are what I call 'puddlers', namely ducks, geese, swans that muck around in their own stew, or chickens who are cooped up (literally and figuratively), and finally, there is yet to be established a pathway for the pathogen to pass ot people except by prolonged, intimate contact. We love our Martins...but not that much!

While those are the technical reasons that bird flu in PMs is an absolute non-issue, there are advisories put out by various professional and governmental groups to this very effect. DO NOT allow yourself to be cowled by the first Chicken Little that exclaims 'you are going to kill all of our kids.'

Deal in facts and knowledge, not anecdotes and emotions.

[loco for purple]

Scully, why don't you move the gourds to back.It really depends on all the media hype.I gurantee that when the first case hits our shores it will make massive headlines and people are going to overreact.You will have ignorant people who don't know the facts that could cause problems.Then again, we might have are first case till next fall.I'm sure you could leave them there if you educate the people.Personally, I believe the media blows everything out of proportion.Scully, I would move them to the back ,or leave them were there at.I would not take any down.

[RC Moser]

I thought it is against the law to tamper with a song birds active nest?. IMO federal law overrides local if measures. As far as the down sizing question? The more you have the more problems you encounter IMO. So I would think your colony gets as big as you can tolarate or manage it. Surely somewhere on the school grounds these gourds can be moved. Will city parks in SA be removing there bird housing if they have any?

I can see where this could outlaw any Bird Housing in Cities where you have people who panic. I would think they would do something about the starling and sparrow population first. Especially starlings a dirty crap laying bird

[Scully]

Thank you for the replies. I have considered them and also talked it over with co-workers.

I'm still mulling over exactly the best course of action to take, but have narrowed it down to either leave everything in place and hope for the best or move one pole to the back where I have room. If so this will be accomplished this weekend as we are presently working 12-16 hour days getting ready for Science Fair coming up on Saturday.

In any event, all the students will be gone for the summmer at the end of May, and then this issue would not be a potential problem until next year.

As Loco writes, a short-term media-driven hysteria is a given if/when bird flu does arrive in North America. If it does come, the most likely time will be in the fall when waterfowl and shorebirds return to this Continent from their breeding grounds in Eastern Siberia.

It should be understood that events in a public institution like a school are driven largely by the sentiments of the community at large.

Certainly citing Federal Law concerning songbird nests as a reason NOT to move a colony even though the public perceived a health risk would be about the fastest way I could think of to a) have the colony rapidly removed and b) have all such future endeavors permanently banned from the campus.

Sometimes ya gotta roll with the punches, even if they ain't been throwed yet.

Certainly if _I_ ever have scientific reason to believe that there is any real health risk to our students, I would remove the entire colony immediately.

Mike Scully

[John Barrow]

Hi Mike. Roll with the punches and leave everything as is this year. I'm betting there will be no repercussions or problems this season as much as the press would like. Too many other things on the minds of people. If you need help we will be there to help define the issues, along with many of Maury Maverick's friends. You are accomplishing too much to let a few maybes slow you down.
Vaya con Dios, amigo,
jb

[Guest]

Mike,
I agree whole-heartedly w/ dtschuck. I have noticed that some/most of the cases are where the birds/fowl are being raised... henced cooped up.
I also would say to find out what you can on Bird Flu ( CDC?) so you will have ammunition to back up your claims. If need be, move the housing to the back this Fall.... out of site, out of mind.
I think with what has happened along the Gulf Coast the last 2-3 years, PMs need all the housing they can get! I have no idea how many PMs migrate to that area, but I think there will be slim pickens' on the housing for years to come. I personally added a four compartment house and two SG's.... maybe two more if needed this year (hopefully!!!)

Maybe we could get some manufactures to donate housing/gourds and turn the 9th Wards into a PM sanctuary!!!

Chuck