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Joseph D. McCarthy

Let me also add my HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MM.

Now to the less serious item.  Mike PLEASE tell me if there is a TOTAL drop in bird population, why have I been seeing a 2,000 % increase in the number of Canada Geese?  Are they secretly replacing other birds?

Joe

David Mitchell

You may recall from a post I left last year, that my first game, sitting with my dad in the "shoe" was a game with "Hoppalong". (1955 or 56, I believe?) I was too young to understand the game and was frustrated that I could not see a white horse down on the field, nor anybody with a dark outfit, and large white "ten gallon" cowboy hat. 

Some of his grandkids went to Watterson - about the time my kids were there. 

Mark Schweickart

Frank -- my comment about your post was aimed at the fact that a day had gone by without anyone adding a post, so I jokingly said you had broken the Forum with your two word post. To be fair to you, I had completely forgotten that Jim had earlier asked the question about who would win the election, and therefore must plead old-man senility for not understanding why you had simply written "Donald Trump." Sorry about that. As for the specifics of your more recent post, I think we should just agree to disagree. Neither of us is going to change the other's mind, so I see little value in engaging in these topics.

Michael McLeod

Joe:

Because unlike most Canadians, they are mean.

Ok that may be part of it - they are quite aggressive birds.

The more accurate answer is that unlike most bird species, they have been able to adapt to urban habitats and human occupation. They are like squirrels with wings.

I think they were once a protected species but they are no longer.

"Total" means the overall number of all bird species has declined. Doesn't mean every single species is tanking.

Unfortunately it's the songbirds and other delicate and quite beautiful species that have taken the brunt of insecticide usage, habitat loss, and global warming.

Frank Ganley

Mark, i totally understand the fact of senior moments! I know that the majority of our faithful readers and contributers stand with the left. Why? Other than your misplaced hate of our President. Those of us on the correct side of the aisle did not agree with obama for the most part but at no time did any of us calling for his assasination or confronting those of the his administration.  I would really like to know why you are on the side of the party who wants america to change to socialism. No attacks on Trump just simply why any of the many dem candidates get you vote. Simple, no debate as whether you are right or wrong , its your thoughts just why do you support the dems

Bill McCray

Frank , I also being a member of freshmen HR 116 I have to tell you that you and Gus have always been my Favorite two Republicans !

David Mitchell

To quote Sister Norbertine;

"AS  I LIVE AND BREATH!"

Bill McCray ??????

I must be seeing things! 

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

Mayor Pete and/or Elizabeth Warren.

Frank, do you remember calling Michelle Obama a monkey? 

i kept that post that you put on Facebook.

Kathleen Wintering (Nagy)

Mike: about the bird population decline... I have been noticing the decline for some time.  We have about an acre and  back right  up to the Illinois Prairie Path and the forest preserve. The path is for walkers and bikers. We have lived here for almost 20 years but have been walking on the path with neighbors  since 1973  or so. We had incredible birds then and we don`t now. I think the decline has  something to do with all the mosquito spraying that people are having done on their property. The township sprays our neighborhood and some of the neighbors also have their property sprayed. I used to have to put on antimosquito spray to walk on the path with my dogs.I haven`t needed anti-mosquito "anything" for a few years now. Kathy W.

Michael McLeod

Thank you for posting that, Mary Ann. Not much else needs to be said.

Frank Ganley

Mary Ann i do remember and my opinion of her has not changed. So far no takers on the democratic side of the class why they would vote democratic

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mike, Kathy and other bird afficianados,

In yesterday's Gazette (Colorado Spring's newspaper) there was an article on the bird decline. From what they and you, Mike, have said this is definitely a multifactorial problem. According to the article some of the factors are quite interesting. A whopping 2.5 billion birds per year in Canada and the US are killed by cats (2015 survey but not otherwise identified) and another 840 million by collisions with cars and windows. (I once demolished a quail on my way to New Mexico several years ago; damaged my license plate considerably.)

About 300,000 (mainly large - eagles, hawks) birds are victims of wind turbines yearly and I suspect those deaths will continue to increase. Approximately 6.8 million a year die from collisions with cell and radio towers.

I suspect that climate change (from whatever anyone believes to be the cause) plays a role.

Insecticides - maybe. We have our many pine trees and bushes professionally sprayed several times yearly to protect against the Mountain Pine Beetle and other insects and have done this for the last 41 years. If anything, our yard has become more popular with birds. Each morning our trees are full of small (about 3" long) songbirds flitting around our Ponderosa Pines. I wish I knew what they were but I am no expert. Our yard is overpopulated with swarms of Magpies and occasional flocks of Ravens. We did notice a decrease in Robins this year but not an absence. Rare owls and hawks are are sometimes seen. This year we have had an exponential increase in butterflies.

Kathy, since birds are host vectors to mosquitios that carry West Nile Encephalitis and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses it is probably a good thing that the area near your home is sprayed. As more mosquito borne diseases migrate up and across America (Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya) spraying is going to become more necessary as a preventive measure.

So, birds are victims of many things, including modern life. What can we do? GET RID OF CATS or at least keep them inside! (I am not a cat person!)

Jim

Jodelle Sims

Frank, you calling Michelle Obama an ape is not suprising because you are a racist POS just liked your beloved president.  I don't understand how you are permitted on this forum.  If you are what people on this forum want to hear,  I'm leaving.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Whoa folks!

My question on Post #6148 asked a simple question to be answered without comments; that got out of hand. That was never my intent.

First of all, any statements made on facebook should be addressed on facebook. Politically highly sensitive discussions on our website are perhaps best debated on the User Forums.

Over the next 14 months political issues are going to get very heated in this country, perhaps the most heated in our lifetime. We have talked in the past whether or not politics should be a topic or not on the Message Forum. Although there were pros and cons I believe that the trend was it could be but in a civil manner. In my opinion policies are always a permissable point of discussion but arguments should not be degraded and weakened by name calling and personality attacks.

I want to see more, not less, participation on our Forum dealing with all kinds of topics and issues. And all viewpoints should be welcomed and encouraged. We should certainly be able to agree to disagree.

Can we at least agree on this, or am I too naive?

Your comments on this post are also welcome.

Jim

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

To Jim’s comment,  "policies are always a permissable point of discussion but arguments should not be degraded and weakened by name calling and personality attacks.”

I say, AMEN!

Michael McLeod

I'm with Jim. 

John Jackson

I’m in favor of NOT restricting topics on the Forum to “safe subjects” but if you give an opinion and you want anyone to care about your opinion I think you’re obligated to present some fact or argument or weblink that supports what you say.

At the same time, I think it would be a shame if the Forum degenerated exclusively into just another place for us all to grind our respective axes.  Although I’m sure some would disagree, I think we’ve done pretty well - while we’ve had eruptions of non-safe topics from time to time, they’ve receded after a few days (as they should).  From time to time I’ve presented some strong opinions, but I try to limit myself to two or three exchanges on a particular topic and I think my principal antagonists (usually Jim and MM) have done the same.

In a similar vein, and getting back to a topic of a week or so ago about  whether long posts should be relegated to the User Forum page, I’m OK with long posts here and if I’m busy or uninterested I skip to the next post.  And I confess I am a bit worried about Dave M’s receding into lurker mode –  I remember Dave’s extreme shyness in grade school and I’m sure it was painfully obvious to all of you non-OLPer’s by the time we got to Watterson.  I think this Forum has been really good for Dave – late in life he seems to be emerging from this shell and I, for one, hope he continues to make progress.

Lawrence Foster

A slight shift of topic:  Not quite the birds that have been discussed but here are some pics of a swan I saw at Veteran's Memorial Park near my home.

Michael McLeod

Thanks for reminding me, John, about Dave.

I enjoy his posts however long-winded they may sometimes seem, and thought at least one of the comments made about him amounted to an extremely unkind personal attack.

Apart from the fact that he is a veteran who saw combat and deserves our respect and compassion for that alone, some of what he has written here measures up to memoirs I have seen in print.

I wrote to him one on one about this and offered moral support when he was criticized but seeing what you just wrote tweaked my conscience. I'd been thinking  that I didn't do more on his behalf, and that's why I'm putting it out here for all to see, alongside my alignment with Jim about keeping things civil, no matter the topic. I haven't exactly been a role model in that regard so I'm talking to myself here as much as to anyone. 

Okay, just to clarify, that's talking to myself in a good way, not in a muttering-crusty-old-fart sort of way, though I do plenty of that these days, too.

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

Does anyone on this forum ever wonder why the majority of our classmates never post on this forum? 

Michael McLeod

It's been brought up on several occasions.

I've been blabbing in public for 50 years and it still freaks me out so I can understand.

Truth is this forum is, by comparison, kid-glove level as compared to the free-for-alls I see elsewhere. These are tempestuous times.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Larry,

Nice swan photos! Always soothing to see bird pictures.

As an addendum to my Post #6178 about the bird decline, I just took a look at my October 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine which had an article on cats and birds. That must have been the Gazette's source for their info on how many birds are killed by cats. Approximately two thirds of those are victims of stray cats. The problem has become so severe in Australia that the government is taking action.

Switching gears again, the aspen change here in Colorado is late this year, but is expected to be spectacular due to heavy snowfalls last winter and sufficient rain this past spring. The warm fall days with cool nights cause the chlorophyll to vacate the leaves unveiling the colors of autumn. The nights are finally getting cool enough for this to happen (it was 39 degrees on our deck when I arose this morning). Sometime this week I will force myself out of bed at a ridiculous hour and head for the mountain passes and byways to capture the show. If all goes well and I get some good shots I'll post them later.

Jim 

Michael McLeod

You have a far more glamorous cue that fall has arrived than I, Jim.

The seasonal hints I get down here are more prosaic. My dog lets me know.  All summer long he's an indoor pet. Goes outside to do his bidness then zips back inside. I'd like to think it's for my company but truth is it's the air conditioning. 

The day that comes when he's no longer chilling next to me on the cool tile floor in my office but has set up his headquarters on the back porch is my signal that fall - the Florida version of it, anyway, which is more like what we would have called indian summer back in Columbus - has arrived.  

David Mitchell

Okay, Okay, everybody. I am over 21. I think I can take it.  

(MIke, I'll get your check out into tomorrow's mail)

Besides, it's NFL season and my poor Broncos are forcing me to spend all my free time on my knees praying to St. Jude. Blessed are those who show mercy on us "Bronco-maniacs", for they shall inherit a higher draft choice.

So Back to the Future Jim, would you believe -  Wendell Wilke?

David Mitchell

Thanks Larry. I always thought pictures were easier for me anyway.

-------------

Occurs to me that one might pose the question - How difficult is it to either ignore and pass on any post you choose, or, actually typing a few commnents of your own and then hitting that terrifying "submit" button? 

(Hint: it's that little button at the bottom of the page - it won't bite) 

Nowthen, did I forget to mention the time I was flying a helicopter and.......?