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Re: Bluebirds & Snakes



GINNY GILLAM wrote:

>I hope none of you are very fond of snakes as the snake's story is not a
>happy one. After that little male bluebird had worked so hard to raise his
>four little nestlings we were not about for them to meet their mother's
>tragic end. The BB gun did not have enough power to bring him down from the
>tree. My husband is a law enforecement officer so when he arrived on the
>scene it was just a matter of minutes before the crime scene was under
>control.  Needless to say the snake was no more of a problem. However, this
>was not their only close call. A week or so later a neighbor's dog came into
>the yard as the fledglings were leaving the nest so once again I had to come
>to the rescue. I hope this year's brood will not have all the excitement of
>last years.
>

----------

What a sad story.

If you put out nestboxes that attract bluebirds, you're essentially 
putting out snake food for Black Ratsnakes and other native creatures 
that prey upon eggs, chicks, or adults. The responsible thing to do 
is either find some non-fatal way to prevent predators from entering 
the box, or let nature take its course.

I find the phrase "crime scene" an odd way to describe a case of 
natural predation, when the real crime here was the use of firearms 
to dispatch the snake.

Curiously, there are folks in the world--myself included--who admire 
and enjoy snakes as much as other folks do birds. I have yet to hear 
any herpetologist say that he kills Red-tailed Hawks just because 
they prey upon his beloved snakes.


BILL

-- 

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
hilton@hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845

Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net) at 
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"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
watch the sunset."					BHjr.