T R E A D I N G W I S E LY
Good-bye for now ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY ROSEMARY ROBERTSON Every spring, we listen for the first sound of each bird species; loons, robins, red-winged blackbirds, and more. What a delight to hear the early morning songs of our returning feathered friends! There is great pleasure in observing their activities all summer. We notice their staggered departure in fall. However, their true value is unseen. As major contributors to the health of the ecosystem, birds’ importance goes far beyond providing pleasure for us with their beauty and joyful songs. We need them. On the other hand, they face obstacles in life because of us. It doesn’t seem like a fair exchange. How can we help to right this wrong? Perhaps the most significant function of birds is to disperse seeds. Who would have thought bird poop was such a generous offering? In essence, when birds go a ‘flying they take the seeds they have eaten with them. Through their droppings, the seeds are spread widely. The seeds create plants frequently in areas that were devoid of vegetation. We assume pollinators are bees or butterflies. We forget that those wonderful hummers we love to watch, are pollinators.
Moving a robin’s nest is never a good idea, even if it isn’t the best spot for us. A robin’s fidelity is not just the nest, but the whole nest setting. These hatchlings are comfortable right over our daughter’s front door.
Did you know that birds pollinate five per cent of the plants we consume as food or medicine? If those birds were to disappear, the result could be drastic. You may not have considered that birds eat and control pests to the tune of 400-500 million tons of insects per year. Evening grosbeaks, for example, may as well wear Superman capes during spruce budworm outbreaks. Who doesn’t love a good bug guzzler?
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