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Re: Monk nest gone from Rocky Mount (fwd)



Hi C-birders,

I'm forwarding another missent update on the Parakeets; fortunately 
Sharon caught herself and let me know, I almost deleted it...

I have to admit that Jason has a point. Many of the most serious exotic 
pests go through years of innocuous existence before crossing some 
threshhold and becoming invasive. Brazilian Pepper was a harmless 
ornamental plant for quite a while, then suddenly - probably because 
robins or some other common, mobile bird species started eating the 
berries - they were all through the Everglades, wiping out habitats left 
and right. Monk Parakeets cause little harm around here now, but do have 
potential to be serious agricultural pests, disease vectors, competitors 
with native birds, etc. By the time any of these threats become apparent 
(if they ever do), the parakeets may well be as common as Starlings or as 
popular as those verminous Mute Swans, and so impossible to control. 
While parakeets around here don't cause anywhere near the ecological harm 
that my usual targets like Ligustrum/Privet, English Ivy, Russian- and 
Autumn-Olives, Japanese Honeysuckle, etc. do, if we don't control them 
now, we probably never will.

Speaking of Mute Swans, I have to disagree with my pal Gary. In my old 
haunts in New England and Michigan, Mute Swans have spread like weeds 
from their origins in densely developed, golf-course infested human 
neighborhoods into all kinds of adjacent wetlands. Not only are they 
displacing native waterbirds, they're also forcing the closure of clam 
flats and other shallow-water fisheries as their feces boost coliform 
bacteria counts far above safe levels, and the combination of their feces 
with their rooting around in the mud for food turns formerly clear, 
diverse ponds into murky smelly water-filled holes. If they aren't 
stopped in the subdivisions, killed or at least neutered, then it's only 
a matter of time before they are infesting Huntington Beach, Santee NWR, 
Bear Island, and so on. They're a much bigger threat than the Monk 
Parakeets.

Also speaking of Mute Swans:

On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, phil dickinson wrote:
>  
> By the way, on 12/27 or 12/28, the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals in DC ruled
> that mute swans are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, and that the Dept. 
> of Interior could not exclude them its regulatory list for purposes of 
> eradication or removal projects in order to protect tundra swan populations.

Phil's wording is a little vague. I'm strongly hoping that he means "Mute 
Swans are protected IN ORDER TO protect Tundra Swans", as the two species 
are similar, and certain folks might kill Tundras thinking they are 
Mutes. If Phil meant "Mute Swans are protected, so DOI cannot protect 
Tundra Swans by excluding Mutes from regulation" then I'd say the court 
in question is receiving some serious misinformation.

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose 
Duke University 
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 19:45:39 -0500
From: sharon funderburk <coney@mindspring.com>
To: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
Subject: Re: Monk nest gone from Rocky Mount (fwd)

The Monk Parakeets (at least two, the third may be gone, though all
three survived the fire) are now nesting in the corner of a pack barn
right beside the L&L gas station.  This location is further from the
road (but easily visable from the parking lot) and the owner of the barn
is very interested in the birds - including providing nesting materials
and structural supports inside the barn and offering the birds various
foods - after a little checking it seems that they should like seeds,
but haven't shown any interest in the sunflower offered.  They do seem
to spend a great deal of time in a pecan tree, however....  The property
owner also observed that they only use fresh cut materials for the nest,
not fallen branches, and they seen to have a preference for a wild
cherry tree and one other (can't remember species).  I haven't been over
since the snow so I can't say if the new nest survived the 14 inches
they got in Red Oak - if they are making a new one it is very
entertaining to watch their weaving!

Sharon Funderburk
Castalia, NC
coney@mindspring.com