Walk Softly – Things are not okay

by Geoffrey Carpentier

At this time of year my mind is pre-occupied with birds and other wild things, for a variety of reasons - personal interest, the consulting work I do, the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and researching items of interest for this column. I’m often asked questions, such as, “Are birds more (or less) common now? Is Avian flu having a negative impact here and elsewhere? Does climate change affect our local birds?” Well, these questions certainly keep my mind working!

Annually, the US Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) publishes their report on the State of North American birds. The outlook is gloomy to be sure. Dabbling duck (e.g. Mallards) numbers have dropped 18 percent, in the last eight years. Western forest birds (e.g. Wood Thrush) are down 11 percent, year over year, since the 1980s, while eastern forest birds have declined by 27 percent. Shorebirds (e.g. sandpipers) and grassland birds are down 33 percent and 43 percent, respectively, in the last 4.5 decades. So, overall, things are not going well. Policies, in both the US and Canada, are not helping, as we continue to gobble up land for housing while removing essential safeguards which we had in place previously.

So, let’s see what we can do locally, to help. Well, each of us in our own small way can alter our own activities and manage our lands to try to benefit nature. Planting native plants, to provide food and shelter is always a good option. Feeding birds when food is scarce (e.g. winter or cold springs) can help those individuals who choose to take advantage of our offerings. Providing housing, yes that’s essential for birds too, not just people, can provide a haven for the young birds to be raised within. Too often, we cut down dead trees thinking they have no value; not true. They are the ultimate condos for a variety of both avian and non-avian species. I need not mention cats, windows, and cars as other devastating devices affecting our imperilled birds. Mowing our lawns and over-fertilizing them can have serious negative consequences on all types of wildlife. The balance between a healthy enjoyable landscape, where we live, and a manicured backyard can be a challenge for all of us. Yet, with nature in mind, you can find the balance, so your property will be usable, functional and nature friendly.

The excitement of bird and nature watching can grasp us with compelling strength, and the urge to experience it can drive us to undertake behaviours which may seem innocuous but may have hidden consequences. Foraging can be an issue. A friend recently told me she had witnessed a person harvesting bracket fungus, in a local forest. When asked why, he said to eat them. Still, why did he take several bags full of them? To take excessive amounts of this resource is not a sustainable nor reasonable practice. Photography can be a challenge, trying to achieve the perfect photo becomes a passion, but to what end? What will you do with that photo which was taken as you crept closer and closer until the bird or animal ran or flew away.

There are many bird identification apps on the market now. One is called Merlin, put out by Cornell University. It helps you identify birds by sight and sound. One feature the app includes is audio recordings which you can play to hear if the bird singing is in fact the species you thought it was. Unfortunately, playing the song in the field can create huge issues for nesting birds. Using playback (as it is called) may entice the bird to come into view but it also might drive it away, as this “imaginary” rival may appear superior, and the local bird may simply abandon the nesting attempt. This happened this year, in the Countryside Preserve in Uxbridge. So simply stated, “Don’t ever use playback in a wild setting, particularly during the breeding season.” Close approach and undue interference with nature is never a good thing!

Birds are resilient, some will thrive, sadly others won’t. Please do what you can to enjoy them, while minimizing your impact at the same time.

Geoff Carpentier is a published author, expedition guide and environmental consultant. Visit Geoff on-line on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram