...an interesting question, for which there is no good answer. I come
from a time when there were perhaps hundreds of percents more birds, and
there were more wild spaces and much larger populations of everything. I
hear things like Pow's question and am reminded of the First People in
Canada talking about birch trees from which canoes were made, lamenting
that no one alive today can imagine how large in circumference the
birches were then, when today a "large" birch is perhaps less than a
quarter the size of those trees then. So are the bird populations. I saw
fallouts almost yearly at Point Pelee when the bushes were colored like
Christmas trees with so many warblers they were uncountable. But I
digress. Cleveland Metroparks Natural Resource Manager John Mack said
not long ago that humans have so disrupted and disturbed "nature" and
"wild populations" that we might as well get used to the idea that we
will ALWAYS have to be artificially manage wild populations, barring a
catastrophic crash in human populations world-wide. While I didn't much
like what he said then, I have come to believe that he was 100% correct.
Like it or not, humans have become the largest bull in the proverbial
china shop, and only humans can try to put some of the china back on the
shelf. Ethical, moral and scientific arguments aside, try to decide how
to help wildlife - what's left of it - in the best way you can to
benefit the species for the greatest time.. do no harm. You decide what
that is....


Bob Hinkle
Solon, Ohio


On 3/25/14, 9:52 PM, Pow Joshi wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I find it very distressing and heart-rending to see the birds perish in the
> unusually nasty winter weather. Shaker Green lake/Duck pond has 2 pairs of
> hooded mergansers, and a male with 2 females of ring-necked ducks, in
> addition to several ( at least 5-6) wood ducks and several mallards.
> I know that the woodducks and the mallards generally are good at taking
> care of themselves, and the  former can roost in the trees. However, I am
> concerned for the mergansers and the ring necked ducks. I was wondering if
> you would have any information on their behavior or if there's anything we
> can do to give these poor birds a slightly better chance at life.
>
> I know that we are not supposed to intervene with the natural causes,
> however, I also found the Wendy park area being frozen with lots of dead
> birds, after a nice weather day earlier a couple of weeks ago. I am
> wondering if one should create some methods that will allow the water
> remain open in such areas with higher migrant bird populations. For
> example, creating a windmill  at the corner pier that will generate some
> heat to keep the water open on such days. The power may be used for other
> purposes on regular days. I am not sure if there would be some other idea
> around this forum to protect these birds.
>
> I appreciate your response, and thank you for reading my post.
> sincerely,
> Pow
>
> (Pow Joshi, Shaker Heights/Cleveland area)
>
>
> On 25 March 2014 21:48, Pow Joshi <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> I find it very distressing and heart-rending to see the birds perish in
>> the unusually nasty winter weather. Shaker Green lake/Duck pond has 2 pairs
>> of hooded mergansers, and a male with 2 females of ring-necked ducks, in
>> addition to several ( at least 5-6) wood ducks and several mallards.
>> I know that the woodducks and the mallards generally are good at taking
>> care of themselves, and the  former can roost in the trees. However, I am
>> concerned for the mergansers and the ring necked ducks. I was wondering if
>> you would have any information on their behavior or if there's anything we
>> can do to give these poor birds a slightly better chance at life.
>>
>> I know that we are not supposed to intervene with the natural causes,
>> however, I also found the Wendy park area being frozen with lots of dead
>> birds, after a nice weather day earlier a couple of weeks ago. I am
>> wondering if one should create some methods that will allow the water
>> remain open in such areas with higher migrant bird populations. For
>> example, creating a windmill  at the corner pier that will generate some
>> heat to keep the water open on such days. The power may be used for other
>> purposes on regular days. I am not sure if there would be some other idea
>> around this forum to protect these birds.
>>
>> I appreciate your response, and thank you for reading my post.
>> sincerely,
>> Pow
>>
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