Ok. So I will preface this whole post with the fact that this week, unawares, I was PMS. Let me put it all out there, K?
Birding class, fun, exciting, healthy. Good.
Later I asked David if I should go ahead and check out info on building our own Western Bluebird House. In usual fashion, I gather all the info I could possibly need and also find an email list, that I won't link to.
I joined the list and got bombarded with emails about House Sparrow elimination; not what I was counting on or prepared for, think graphic depictions of acts intolerable. Apparently House Sparrows, introduced in 1850 or 1851 have taken over the U.S. and are booting out native species or more accurately for the purpose of this post, Bluebirds. Now Bluebirds are making a resurgence in the U.S. due to diligent care and the use of strategically placed man-made housing specific to Bluebird needs.
So folks have taken it even further and have begun to eliminate House Sparrows because they are aggressive and invasive and fight for the housing provided to the Bluebirds, which are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l, by the way.
Little darlings.
So without looking at my book to make sure that I am not feeding House Sparrows (very ignorant of me), I purchase new bird food hoping that perhaps I could disuade the 'house sparrows' with the different type of feed.
I go to the Post Office and park, wanting to gather my mail and go home. On the side walk near the car? A House Sparrow wing. Don't know how it got there or what happened. I start blubbering.
Downtown.
Then I go home to look up House Sparrows. I am not feeding House Sparrows. I am feeding Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch and Song Sparrow (to the best of my ability).
Boy did I throw myself for a loop with that one. Needless to say, I am no longer on the list, I will feed whomever comes and I won't be eliminating anyone for a human error 150 years in the past. I mean really, are humans invasive or what? Global warming? No eliminating us, now. Right?
And if I have any Bluebird fanatics reading this post? It is a free country. I traumatized myself reading into this whole matter, and I don't want to hear anymore about it.
hooo. That right there is my high horse. My very own salt box. F'getaboudit.
Today after birding field trip we went to the Northern Arizona Book Festival, where we heard readings and performances by Matthew Henry Hall, really well read in a variety of voices, Billy Collins funny as hell (a poet), Lemony Snicket who did this to-die-for performance which made me want to read every book. As it should be.
We are going to the Canyon tomorrow. Self Love and Care.
Oh and Jane? I will post or write about the Bluebird piece and the gingko, or however that is spelled.
Australia has lots of issues like the house sparrow v's bluebird. Cane toads, cats, rabbits, dogs, myna birds, foxes...humans... all are threatening or have already had an enormous impact on our native wild life.
It's a tough one.
Posted by: Claire at April 23, 2007 05:39 PMI am with you on feeding whomever shows up. I have found that this brings other birds as they migrate, i.e. Lazuli Buntings, Cedar Waxwings, etc. We live near Bickleton, Wa. which claims to be the bluebird capital of the world. The bluebirds where sucessful because a farmer took the time to erect bluebird houses all over the town. Have fun at the canyon, one of my favorite spots in the world.
Posted by: Jeannie at April 22, 2007 07:12 PMNot a fanatic, just a fan. It seems that the community I live in has just the right conditions for Eastern Bluebirds to run amok. I see them daily and never tire of going "Look Look!". They were so rare where we lived in NY. Right now I am mesmerized by the live owl feed from CA. There are also links to bluebird nests with babies on this page:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/nestboxcam/barn_owl_ca/
Posted by: Deb at April 22, 2007 09:25 AM