By Mia McPherson, on February 18th, 2012% I see and photograph the most incredible birds and wildlife often and it brings me much joy but there is a flip side to my photography that is saddening, maddening and very disheartening. I don’t always see beauty, sometimes I see pain, suffering and death.
Laughing Gull with fish hook in bill and legs too tangled to walk
I recall vividly the morning I spotted this Laughing Gull that it wasn’t acting like the other gulls on the beach nearby so I focused on the bird and felt my stomach twist into a knot as it became clear to me that the gull had a fish hook imbedded in its throat and bill. It couldn’t close its bill. Then I noticed that its feet were entangled with monofilament fishing line so badly that it could barely walk. About all it could do was shuffle its feet. I wanted to get help for the Laughing Gull but at the time I didn’t have a smart phone, I had no access to the internet and I didn’t have the number to the park’s headquarters. Plus I couldn’t capture the bird to take to a rescue group because it could still fly. And when it did fly off the knot in my gut worsened because I knew that without help the gull would soon die. That is such a helpless feeling.
Fishing Lures left on a snag in a tidal lagoon
Monofilament fishing line, lures, hooks, metal leads and weights present huge dangers to birds and wildlife when they are not properly disposed of. Monofilament lines can tangle around the bills, feet, wings, legs and necks of birds which can result in death, amputations of feet, legs and wings and when the line is around the neck the possibility of a slow, painful strangulation.
After photographing these lures I removed them from the snag and disposed of them properly. The snag wasn’t in deep water, it only came to my knees and I don’t understand why the fishermen didn’t wade out and remove it. I can’t understand.
White Ibis with foot tangled in fishing line
I can not count the times I have encountered a bird with missing feet or partial amputations of their legs. I have just seen that many.
The fishing line is tangled around the foot so tight of this White Ibis that the foot is extremely swollen and it appeared obviously painful to the bird because it did not place that foot on the ground while I observed it, instead it hopped on the other leg to move on the ground. The Ibis flew off before I could call the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in St. Petersburg to ask for help. Once again I wondered about the face of this beautiful bird.
After my experience with the Laughing Gull tangled in fishing line I had placed the phone numbers for the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and the park headquarters in my contacts list in my cell phone.
Fishing lure
Quite often fishing lures resemble fish, shrimp or other food items for the fishermen’s intended targets, the problem is that these lures often look enticing to birds, mammals and sea creatures. I found this lure while walking along a sandy beach and not only could it have become an item to kill birds or wildlife it could have gotten stuck in the soles of a child’s foot who then may not have only been in pain but might have been subjected to Tetanus injections or have developed an infection.
I picked the lure up, placed it in this tree to photograph it and then carried it to a trash receptacle to dispose of it. A pretty simple way of protecting wildlife and people from the dangers of this lure, I wish it were done more often.
Laughing Gull with fishing line & lure in bill
This Laughing Gull had obviously swallowed a hook or a lure and had a long strand of the fishing line hanging from its bill the evening that I photographed it. I was heart broken that before I could call for help a person walked close enough to make the gull fly away. If I could have reached the park rangers or the rescue group they may have been able to throw a net over the bird to capture it, remove the hook and release it.
Used fishing line container
Many parks and recreation areas have now installed used fishing line containers within easy walking distance to fishing areas where fishing line, weights, leads, hooks and lures can be properly and safely disposed of. I find it sad that even in locations with these containers that I still find fishing line and hooks on the ground presenting dangers to birds, wildlife and people. Is there an excuse for not walking a few feet to get rid of these items in a safe manner? I don’t think so.
Double-crested Cormorant in danger
I have been able to aid in the rescue of several birds including the Double-crested Cormorant shown above. I was photographing birds near the Gulf Pier at Fort De Soto when I noticed this bird sitting on the beach. I could see the hook in the bill without using my lens so I knelt down, focused on the bird and could see a metal leader and a lead weight. I could also see that the dull color of this bird’s eyes indicated that it was growing weaker. I was able to call Jim Wilson at park headquarters who said he’d be there quickly. I stood guard over the bird so that if people approached it I could ask them to stay far enough away that the bird would not take flight or enter the water. Jim and a few other rangers showed up, captured the Cormorant and got it to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary where the hook was removed and when the bird was healthy again it was released into the wild.
If you are a fishermen, please dispose of used line, hooks, lures and lead weights properly if at all possible. You could be saving the lives of birds and wildlife and looking after the environment.
They belong on this planet as much as we humans do.
Mia
By Mia McPherson, on December 10th, 2011% First there was one, then there were three
From September 30, 2011 until November 25, 2011 birders, bird photographers, locals and tourists were treated to a rarity on the Antelope Island State Park Causeway when on September 30th a female Harlequin Duck showed up at the first “No Swimming Bridge” then later when a male juvenile molting into adult plumage and another female appeared it was even better.
Harlequin Duck female – October 30, 2011
These ducks are rare in Utah and at the time the first female showed up it would be the 13th record as noted on the Utah Bird Records Committee’s website and likely only the 7th officially accepted and documented. The three Harlequin Ducks seen from September until late November were very well documented as it seemed that every day someone was viewing and photographing them. Many times when driving by that bridge there would be cars lined up 5 in a row and people were out admiring the rare visitors to Utah from a respectful distance.
Harlequin Duck male – October 30, 2011
The first time I saw the male I presumed; incorrectly, that it was another female Harlequin Duck but I soon realized that it was a young male. I was tickled just to see him period and even more so when we could all see that he was molting.
Harlequins are small, sturdy sea ducks that normally winter along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are not common inland during the winter.
Harlequin Duck female – October 30, 2011
While on the island if I saw people with binocs scanning their surroundings I would get out of the vehicle and ask them if they were birders, if they were I would tell them about our rare and beautiful visitors. I wanted to share our good fortune with others as many other people in this area did. People blogged about the rare birds and the Utah birders list servs were buzzing about the Harlequins. There were almost daily reports about the ducks.
I didn’t even give a thought to hunters reading the posts on birding blogs, forums and list servs. But those posts were being watched very carefully by some duck hunters.
I am not a hunter though long ago I did do some deer hunting (never killed one) I now only shoot with my camera, I am not against hunting when it is done in an ethical manner. I have in the past written about my disgust for game farm or canned hunts, in my opinion that type of activity should not be called “hunting” and from my research into canned hunts most hunters feel much the same way I do. My post about that is here.
Harlequin Duck male – October 30, 2011
As days became weeks the male Harlequin began to show some signs of blue on his back and face, the white bands on his back became more clearly defined and the rusty crown stripe began to appear. What a handsome duck he was, I enjoyed seeing the Harlequins as I drove to or from the island on the causeway and was delighted to see so many cars parked there at the bridge with out of state plates hoping to see our celebrity ducks.
Harlequin Duck female – November 17, 2011
During the time period that the Harlequins were near the causeway they stayed primarily near the first bridge, I do recall the male being reported once at the second bridge but it appeared that he went back to the first bridge to hang around the females.
The last date the Harlequins were reported to have been seen was November 25th and at that time I wondered if the birds had flown to the Pacific Ocean to spend the rest of the winter but have recently found out that the birds were shot and killed and that it was perfectly legal. Duck hunters can shoot along the Antelope Island causeway as long as they follow certain restrictions like not shooting from a vehicle or firing from or over the road.
The Harlequins were “sitting ducks”. And then there were none.
Harlequin Duck male – November 17, 2011
There is a thread on a hunting forum that can be read here about the Harlequin Ducks that is interesting as it seems that there were hunters who expressed hope that the rare Harlequin Ducks would not be shot. Others seemed to be chomping at the bit to shoot an “exotic” duck despite them being rarity.
To those hunters who recognized and respected the rarity of those beautiful and very uncommon birds, you have my respect and I am personally very grateful that you preferred to give these ducks a pass even though you knew that hunting them was legal.
To those hunters who argued about the legality versus the ethics of killing the Harlequin Ducks:
Prostitution is legal in our neighboring state of Nevada, perfectly legal. But does that make it right to drive to Nevada and cheat on your spouse? Why not ask your spouse or significant other if they think cheating is right? It is a no brainer but you may want to think about it.
Just because it is legal that doesn’t make it right.
Mia
By Mia McPherson, on September 11th, 2011% 
Young Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 200, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Earlier this year in March I wrote an article titled “Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?” and this post is a sequel to it. If you didn’t read the first post about these amazing Owls you might want to click here (opens in a new window) before continuing to read this post so that you might understand why I am writing this sequel.
A brief excerpt below:
“When we came around the hill where the burrow is visible we saw three vehicles parked on both sides of the road but that wasn’t the shocker. There were three photographers, all with long lenses, out of their vehicles plus another person who didn’t have a camera in hand. What made me sick was that there were three of those people tromping around the owl’s burrow. I mean RIGHT up on it. They had no need to be that close but they were.
I felt like my stomach had been punched. You know, I can understand wanting to have a close look at the burrow but not at this time of the year, not when there are chicks, not when fledglings are still present and certainly not before or as the adult owls are in the process of deciding whether to use the same burrow again.”
I was concerned that day after seeing those people stomping around on top of the owl burrow, I wondered what I would see during the rest of the nesting season for those Burrowing Owls after those people disturbing the birds and the nesting site.
Juvenile Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) flapping its wings
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon d200, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
After those photographers harassed the owls by approaching and standing on top of the burrow the behavior of one of the adult owls changed significantly.
The previous year I had found that by parking on the side of the road and using a vehicle as a mobile blind these owls were not disturbed by our presence and did not show any signs of distress. They went about their normal habits which made for great opportunities to photograph them.
But not any more. Even when slowly driving up to park the visible owl at this disturbed burrow would sound a series distress calls then fly far from the nesting site. It did that even weeks after the burrow disturbance. I kept hoping that things would go back to normal for the owls.
A pair of juvenile Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia)
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f10, 1/160, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Last year at this time the juveniles were out of that same burrow, perching on the sagebrush, hiding in the grass, learning to fly and interacting with the adults and siblings. They were enormous fun to observe and photograph and by using a mobile blind they were not harassed, distressed or disturbed. One day I counted 7 immature birds plus one adult. Quite often; first thing in the morning, both adults would be perched on top of nearby sagebrushes keeping an eye on their young.
It was amazing fun to watch the young birds last nesting season. The juveniles would preen each other, make silly faces, pose in the most comical positions and walk around peeking out from between the grasses or sagebrush leaves. They would stretch their wings, hop around, parallax and exlore the world beyond their burrow. I have hundreds of images from that burrow last year, all of them showing the birds just going about the business of being owls.
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) juvie in sagebrush
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f5.6, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
About five to six weeks ago I thought I spotted a juvenile low on the sagebrush that grows over this particular burrow, it seemed to drop to the ground and hide well from sight. The grass under that sagebrush is much longer this year than last because we had such a wet spring. I think now that I just wanted to know that the March disturbance hadn’t affected the success of this burrow. Today I believe I wanted to see chicks at that burrow so much that my mind had only played a trick on me.
Right now I should be seeing the fledglings perched on this sagebrush or other bushes nearby. I should be seeing them testing their flight skills or basking in the light of the rising sun. I should be struggling not to laugh when the juveniles antics cause me involuntary giggles. I should be seeing them scanning the sky overhead for the predatory birds in their airspace or looking for fat grasshoppers to catch and eat.
Lonely adult Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f5.6, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Instead this is what I am seeing, one lonely adult Burrowing Owl perched on the sagebrush that grows over the burrow. It is almost always hidden behind the leaves, it doesn’t sound a distress call anymore and it doesn’t fly away. No chicks.
Of course I can not prove that the disturbance those photographers caused at this burrow that day had anything to do with the overwhelmingly apparent signs that this nest failed this season.
It does; however, give me reason to believe it might have played a part in it.
Mia
Two places to read about good field ethics: Principles of Birding Ethics published by the American Birding Association and NANPA’s Ethical Practices (pdf)
More of my Burrowing Owl images
By Mia McPherson, on March 14th, 2011% 
Juvenile Burrowing Owl in flight
Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/1500, ISO 400, Nikkor200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited and not harassed
I saw something yesterday that made me sick and it also made me angry.
I get it that Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) are beautiful, funny, comical, hilarious, adorable, cute, infinitely interesting to watch, universally appealing and great fun to photograph. I love to see them, observe them and photograph them too. I understand the desire to add Burrowing Owls to a photographers portfolio. Or any owl.
There is a location on Antelope Island State Park where Burrowing Owls have nested for years. The owls can easily be photographed by using a vehicle as a mobile blind using a DSLR with a longer lens or a point & shoot camera with some optical zoom by anyone. By not getting out of the vehicle you are less likely to stress or harass the owls. By staying in the vehicle the owls go about their normal behavior. The burrow isn’t that far from the road.
At this time of the year some of the migrant Burrowing Owls start to return to the island and those that remained there through the winter begin to look for mates and places to nest. Burrowing Owls often return to the same nesting site for years which is probably good for them because they only need to clean the burrow up and don’t have to expend as much energy in creating a new one.
A pair of juvenile Burrowing Owls
Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f8, 1/250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited and not harassed
Yesterday morning I was out on Antelope Island to photograph birds, the day started without any clouds and I knew the light might be beautiful. I’ve been seeing one adult owl in the location of this burrow but haven’t yet seen a pair and I have been going past it to see if the other adult shows up to mate and nest when we go to the island.
When I came around the hill where the burrow is visible I saw three vehicles parked on both sides of the road but that wasn’t the shocker. There were three photographers, all with long lenses, out of their vehicles plus another person who didn’t have a camera in hand. What made me sick was that there were three of those people tromping around the owl’s burrow. I mean RIGHT up on it. They had no need to be that close but they were.
I felt like my stomach had been punched. You know, I can understand wanting to have a close look at the burrow but not at this time of the year, not when there are chicks, not when fledglings are still present and certainly not before or as the adult owls are in the process of deciding whether to use the same burrow again.
Burrowing Owl small in the frame
Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited and not harassed
I’ve decided from now on I won’t list locations of raptors; nesting or not, other than the county the images were taken in. If a photographer emails me whom I believe to have good field ethics I will tell them the location but I won’t give that information out to just anyone ever again.
I don’t bait birds; specifically birds of prey, and I also do not harass birds in the field to get the “shot”. It goes against my personal ethics but there are some photographers who will “do anything to get the shot” despite the stress they may cause the birds. Especially nesting birds or birds with young. How they can have so little regard for their living, breathing subjects is beyond me. If everyone got out of their vehicle at this burrow and if a great many photographers stomp around it the adult owls may decide to nest elsewhere thereby disrupting the normal behavior of the owls and depriving people with good field ethics the opportunity of observing, photographing and admiring the beauty of this burrow of owls.
There used to be burrowing owls close to the park headquarters and close to the road that are no longer there. The park staff when asked about why the owls were no longer there said they thought “the owls had been loved to death”.
Personally I will always put the welfare of birds or animals above the desire to get a photograph.
Once I was trying to get into a better position to photograph a Barred Owl in Florida, it was perched and did not appear distressed by the photographers in the area. There was one photographer there though that kept playing the sound of barred owls on a player of some sort, perhaps he was trying to get the owl to open its eyes but he played it so much that it caused the owl stress and it flew away into deeper unreachable habitat. That person caused the rest of us to lose the opportunity to photograph that owl and caused the owl to be distressed.
I hear of rare owl sightings being reported and then throngs of photographers (and to be fair; birders) showing up, some of them get to close and even chase after the owls disrupting the bird and its normal behavior just to get the “shot” or check it off their life list. And it isn’t just owls, I’ve seen images of wild Bald Eagle chicks where the photographer was close enough to use a wide angle lens.
Here are a few links to some examples of this type of behavior:
Birding British Columbia
Amherst Island Owls
Did the photographers yesterday consider what their behavior might do to the owls? Probably not. Did they think that walking right up to the burrow at this time of the year might cause the adults to nest elsewhere? Probably not. Did they know for certain that the owls hadn’t already laid eggs and that their presence might cause the adults to abandon the nest and eggs? Certainly not since the eggs would be back in the burrow and might not be visible. Perhaps they just didn’t care. I do know they left the area several times to return again (and again).
Later that day I spotted one adult owl on the ground well away from the burrow and nearly hidden by a sagebrush when it may have normally have been perched in the sagebrush over the burrow to warm up in the rising sun.
Didn’t happen and I don’t wonder why.
Mia
PS: As far as addressing good field ethics with those photographers in today society that could be risky and unsafe. Reporting the unneeded (and unnecessary) encroachment to the park staff? Their guidelines say on that end of the island people are free to walk about and they have every right to do so legally there might not be anything they can do about their poor field ethics. But that does not make it “right“.
Afterthoughts: I thought I should include links to the Principles of Birding Ethics published by the American Birding Association. Also NANPA’s Ethical Practices(pdf)
I also wonder how these photographers would feel if complete stranger began walking around their homes, in the houses where they are raising their children. Would they like it? Appreciate it? Think that they deserve to have respect?
So do the birds.
Mia
A follow up on these Burrowing Owls can be found here
More Burrowing Owl images
By Mia McPherson, on January 30th, 2011% 
Adult Red-winged Blackbird (Agelius phoeniceus) male singing
Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
In December of 2010 and January of 2011 the national media outlets reported several mass die offs of birds in the United States. On December 31, 2010 over 5000 blackbirds died and fell on the town of Beebee, Arkansas. On January 4, 2011 near Labarre, Louisiana 500 blackbirds and starlings were reported dead. It was reported that the mass die off in Arkansas was caused by illegal fireworks going off which startled the blackbirds into flying at night, smashing into objects because of their poor night vision.
Recently the USDA accepted responsibility for a smaller die off in South Dakota which brought to light a little known program called “Bye bye Blackbird” which uses DRC-1339, a poison that is also called an avicide. I didn’t see this program brought to national attention in the evening news.
Adult European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Salt Lake County, Utah
Nikon D200, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm with 1.4x TC at 260mm, natural light
Target species of the “Bye bye Blackbird” USDA program are blackbirds, starlings, grackles, cowbirds, and pigeons.
A bit about European Starlings: Few people in North America like European Starlings, my thoughts on that are not to blame the bird but to place the blame where it belongs with the people who introduced this species in 1890 – 1891 in New York’s Central Park.
It only took 60 years for European starlings to make their way from the Atlantic coast all the way to the Pacific and a mere 100 birds has now been estimated at over 200 million. They do compete with native species for food and nesting cavities.
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) male singing
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/350, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Of the blackbird target species there are Red-winged Blackbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, the less common Tricolored Blackbird, and the rare Rusty Blackbird. The depredation order is currently under review because of the impact it may have on the declining population of the Rusty Blackbird.
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) male
Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 250, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Cowbirds are also targeted by the Bye bye Blackbird program, there are 3 species which can be affected, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Shiny Cowbirds and Bronzed Cowbirds. Brown-headed Cowbirds can be found throughout most of North America while the Shiny and Bronzed Cowbirds are more localized to certain geographical areas.
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) male
Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
There are three grackle species that are also targeted by the “Bye bye Blackbird” program, Common Grackles, Boat-tailed Grackles and Great-tailed Grackles. Common Grackles cover the largest geographical area, Great-tailed Grackles are found throughout the southwestern United States while Boat-tailed Grackles seem to prefer being along the east coast.
Adult male Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) male singing
Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Why was the USDA “Bye bye Blackbird“ program started and when did it begin? It began in the 1960′s and became a part of the USDA later. The program was started to aid farmers, dairy farmers and ranchers in the reduction and removal of avian “pests”. Dairy farmers say that a large flock of starlings or blackbirds can eat 200 pounds of feed a day and that their feces can spoil the feed.
Through the US Fish and Wildlife Service there is a “depredation order” which allows anyone kill blackbirds, starlings or grackles who claims they pose health risks or economic damage. Some areas of the country require permits but farmers are often able to hire private contractors who don’t need to report their bird culls to any authority.
USDA agents killed more than 4 million starlings, blackbirds, grackles and cowbirds in 2009.
“Every winter, there’s massive and purposeful kills of these blackbirds,” says Greg Butcher, the bird conservation director at the National Audubon Society. “These guys are professionals, and they don’t want to advertise their work. They like to work fast, efficiently, and out of sight.”
I have to wonder:
* Why aren’t the farmers required to cover the feed they say is being lost daily or annually?
* Would the birds even be there if the feed was covered?
* Would the birds be defacating on the feed if the feed were covered?
* Why should this program to exterminate these species be paid for by the government?
* What are the effects on non-target species who eat seeds?
* What are the effects on raptors who may ingest the poisoned birds?
* What are the long-term effects of DRC-1339 on humans and the environment?
* How many other birds are dying because of DRC-1339 that we don’t know or hear about?
The USDA says that DRC-1339 does not affect livestock, pets or humans but they didn’t think that DDT would cause the well documented problems for birds that it did. How many times has the USDA or FDA said that a poison or medication wouldn’t be harmful only later to have to recant those statements because it was harmful? How many government studies have been proven wrong?
From promedmail.org: Known exceptions are owls and felines, with LD’s of about 5 mg/kg placing them in the sensitive category.
Last I checked felines included a well known family pet, the cat. And owls are protected.
DRC-1339 causes severe renal failure and congestion to the bird’s major organs, does that sound humane? I don’t think so.
What is next?
* If a Golden or Bald Eagle takes, kills and ingests a lamb or a calf will they be on the Bye bye Blackbird hit list too? They would be causing economic damage.
* Who is watching the private contractors to make sure they are “dosing” the target species safely if they don’t have to report to authorities?
* Why are the private contractors not required to report the number of birds (or species for that matter) to government authorities?
I’d hate to think that our great-grandchildren won’t ever know the sound of a Red-winged Blackbird singing on a spring morning. There needs to be more transparency & accountability about the “Bye bye Blackbird” program.
I’m really bothered by the USDA Bye bye Blackbird program, are you?
Mia
Juvenile male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelius phoeniceus) singing
Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/800, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm at 400mm, natural light
http://www.truth-out.org/bye-bye-blackbird-usda-acknowledges-a-hand-one-mass-bird-death67028
http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/news/bye-bye-blackbird-usda-mass-bird-deaths
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:2123109730310003::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,86850
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Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon
Focusing on Wildlife Contributor
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