If it’s good for the birds, it’s good for humanity

Never let it be said that I am not easily amused. Yesterday, after a long day balancing on the cutting edge at the internationally idolized Granese Institute of Technology, I pulled into my driveway feeling more than a little weary. Rather than immediately dragging myself inside, cranking up the AC and hitting the couch, I wound up spending a few pleasant moments in the car checking out my neighbors.

I haven’t taken up voyeurism. When I get home I park right next to the four-star avian eatery that is my birdfeeder. On warm, clear days, it is the best show in town during daylight hours. Our feathered friends have it phat on my street, with several active feeders in constant service. I dutifully fill mine with 10 pounds of seed every morning, and come home to find it empty each afternoon. Yesterday, the cleanup crew was hard at work making sure that not a single fallen seed was wasted.

Ground feeders were represented in great number, including the coo-coo mourning dove and its urban cousin, the rock dove. House sparrows, as ever, were swarming the place, in concert with brown-headed cowbirds, red-winged blackbirds, and the occasional goldfinch. The grassy lawns on either side were playing host to bobbing American robins and elegant northern mockingbirds.

Sadly conspicuous by their absence were the distinctively iridescent common grackle contingent. While a few of them still show up for daily chow, their number has been greatly reduced of late. Another once-common avian visitor, the rusty blackbird, has not been seen pecking around stately Granese Manor for months.

There is a reason for this. There are simply not as many common grackles and rusty blackbirds around anymore. My sincere thanks to the many bird-loving readers who mailed me a link to a recent Audubon release detailing 20 once-common bird species that are now in great decline. It was sobering news.

I can assure you that what is bad for the birds is usually bad for humanity. Further, nothing brings a note of gloom to the ebullient Granese spirit than hearing of birds suffering at the hands of humanity. Suitably motivated, this week’s edition of Untangled Web will help us help our birdie buddies bring joy, along with free natural fertilizer, into the hearts of humanity for generations to come.

www.audubon.org

Take a minute to read the Audubon report and find out which of your favorite birds are on the hot list. You can find the study at www.audubon.org/bird/stateofthebirds/CBID/browseSpecies.php. Among other sad news, you will find that the common tern, a local favorite, is no longer all that common. This problem has been compounded by recent flood damage to favored nesting areas.

The elegant northern pintail, one of the most beautiful ducks in North America, is high on the list as well, suffering a reduction in number as high as 77 percent. I dread what the impact a proposed bike path in the south end of Ocean City will have on one of their favorite local haunts.

When you have finished reading the list, click the link on the left titled “How Citizen Science Revealed the Problem.” Read all about the famous Christmas Bird Count, a longstanding tradition that invites ordinary citizens to help the ornithological set keep a finger on the feathered pulse. Plan to participate in next year’s count, and you’ll be taking an active part in reversing this tragic trend.

While you are there, you can also join Audubon by browsing to www.joinaudubon.org. For just $20 you can help support its conservation efforts, keep up with the latest birding news in its magazine, and grab a handy pair of binoculars as a premium. Every little bit helps. For getting the word out and helping the birds, www.audubon.org picks up a handful of delicious, nutritious spiders.

www.fws.gov

Buy yourself a Federal duck stamp. Do it today. You can find out all about them at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, www.fws.gov/duckstamps/Info/Stamps/stampinfo.htm.

Duck stamps cost $15, and a junior duck stamp can be had for only $5. You will be in good company. By the time you read this, more than 1.6 million people will have purchased federal duck stamps in New Jersey alone.

I can hear your numeric keypads clicking. That does amount to a great deal of money, and I am sure you are wary of the usual programs that send South Jersey money straight up the Parkway. Happily, this is not the case, as your duck stamp dollars have helped preserve avian habitat right here in our own backyard.

Both the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, on the web at www.fws.gov/northeast/capemay/, and the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, at www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe/, have benefited greatly from the program.

Duck Stamp holders can enjoy free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee, allowing you unlimited access to the magnificent Wildlife Drive at the Forsythe’s Brigantine Division, a dynamic experience so spectacular that you may want to pay the fee anyway. For helping the nation’s refuges continue to protect wildlife habitat and bring nature to the public, www.fws.gov cleverly conserves five free-range spiders.

www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

www.freewebs.com/atlanticaudubonsociety

We have an unprecedented tie in this final category which will allow you to choose the site that best suits you geographically. You can show your concern by joining one of the organizations that are dedicated to nurturing and preserving avian life in our area. That list includes the Cape May Bird Observatory and the Atlantic Audubon Society.

Joining a local group has significant benefits, not the least of which is community. The next time you are positive that a Carolina parakeet has just pulled up at your thistle feeder, you will know who to call first. Being part of an organization also lets you add your strength to a common voice to help protect birds and their habitat from destruction.

Both organizations sponsor all manner of classes, walks, and field trips that can help you enjoy the flora and fauna of your locality. A couple of bucks and a little shoe leather is a small price to pay for finding that prothonotary warbler a few blocks from home or getting a tip on a rare bird in the area, like that avocet that keeps turning up at the Forsythe refuge two minutes after I leave.

Both groups also present regular newsletters and publications that can keep you informed about the state of regional bird life and up to date on related activities. Best of all, they use the money you provide to address local issues and area birds. That alone is worth the first-ever double five-spider award. When you finish reading this paper, get out your checkbook and join up.

While it is on your mind, consider erecting a bird feeding station in your own yard. Birds are far more entertaining than television, and birdseed costs much less than cable. You could even put in a few native plants and shrubs to offer all-natural snacks and convenient shelter. If you have already done so, I am anxious to hear about your best feeder sightings and all avian activity. Direct your birdie bulletins to granese@juno.com.