Red-eyed Vireo on nest. Photo © Bev Wigney
Hi everyone,
I spent the past weekend putting together a video (see below), using a collection of video clips shot by Donna Crossland earlier this summer. They depict sections of Highway 8 here in Annapolis County, where contractors have been removing a wide swath of trees and brush along the roads near the power lines. The work is being done to reduce the likelihood of trees falling on the lines and causing power outages. Of course, this is well and good, but the timing for these operations was extremely poor as it was right at the peak of bird nesting season.
For those of you who may not know Donna, her birding skills are excellent. She has been doing bird census point counts for many years. Anyhow, she took her camera and went into the areas that were being cut to see what was there. She carried on a dialogue while shooting footage, so “you are there” with her as she narrates what she is seeing. She also shot some footage after the cut had been done to record bird activity.
I’ve uploaded the video to Youtube to share with friends. It will eventually be uploaded to at least one or two organization websites, but in the meantime, I wanted to get some feedback from those of you who are following my blog. I am trying to convey that, yes, this work needs to be done, BUT there should be greater care with operational planning to avoid destroying bird nests and nestlings. This could easily be accomplished by avoiding doing this kind of work during nesting season. It’s only a few weeks out of the whole year. Surely it should be possible to give the birds some time to raise their young.
Anyhow, here is the video. Run time is about 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Feedback is very welcome in the comments. And by the way, thanks to those of you who have subscribed to my new blog. It means a lot to me.
It’s really important for everyone to emphasise to all levels of government the hideous illegality of destroying nesting habitat during nesting season. We had a big area of fairly mature forest destroyed in Kemptville recently, for a previously-approved subdivision, and I’m abashed that the nest destruction didn’t come up in the protests about this. The “Lock her up!” motto really ought to be applied after the fact to those who do this, if the fact that nests would be destroyed didn’t prevent or postpone the destruction. Traditionally forestry isn’t done in the nesting season in Ontario because of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and concern about this illegality needs to be revived.
I am in total agreement, Fred. This year round chopping right through nesting season and the time of most mammals having offspring, and reptiles and amphibians reproducing, is obviously being forcibly pushed by those who own large harvesting machines – very costly machines – that must be kept working year round in order to make huge payments. In my area, when the line clearing was done for the fibre network, ALL of the works around here was done in autumn and right into early winter. Much of it was done with smaller machines and with work crews with saws and a chipper. Those workers seemed to be very comfortable working in autumn temperatures — no insects to bother them. No encounters with Yellowjackets on the ground. No chopping up of birds or mammals. Instead, here we see huge machines, indiscriminately chopping up everything in their path. This *does* go against everything that the Migratory Birds Convention Act supposedly stands for! If it is not followed and enforced, then what the hell good is it?
Bev, is it okay to share this video?
Hi Sandy,
Yes, it is okay to share it. I think it will soon be hosted on an organization website. Not sure where it will be posted, but in the meantime, people can watch it. Thanks.
I read a headline in the New York Times today that made me so happy. It said, “Judge Rules in Favor of Montana Youths in Landmark Climate Case.” Yes! It gives me a bit of hope when young people are protesting and making their voices heard in favor of our planet. It used to be, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” Now it should be, “All we are saying is give Earth a chance.” Thank you for all you do, Bev.
Thanks, Robin — and for that bit of good news as well! I do think more people are standing up for Nature. The only thing holding some people back is that they just don’t know the issues and what’s going on. Once they are informed, they will speak up — at least that is what we are finding in this area. I’ve read that, in recent polls, the percentage of people who want to see better protections for nature are really quite high — 80% or better. That makes me hopeful for change.
Nicely done DC, adds so much to text descriptions of such events. & It’s replicated in many forestry operations in NS of course.