[BCNnet] Fw: Chickadees wiped out by WNV
Karolyn Beebe
Karolyn Beebe" <keedo@merr.com
Thu, 7 Nov 2002 16:49:05 -0600
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Dear BCNneters,
Maybe someone knows if the areas where Chickadee numbers are low were =
sprayed with pesticides, maybe to fight WNV? I posted the article on =
the Wisbird list and it brought the following 2 replies.=20
Karolyn Beebe
Madison WI
----- Original Message -----=20
To: Wisbird=20
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 3:51 PM
Subject: re: Chickadees wiped out by WNV
Daryl makes a very good point, that we MUST NOT jump to conclusions =
about what is killing off any species. Testing to show it is WNV (or =
whatever) should be done. And his other point that pesticide spraying =
is worse than the disease and does more harm is right on the money as =
well.
I'm not saying chickadees are not being killed by WNV, but we do NOT =
know for sure at this stage.
Bettie Harriman
in her woods north of Oshkosh where "my" chickadee numbers are about the =
same as ever and I sure hope to keep them that way!
At 03:21 PM 11/7/02 -0600, Daryl Christensen wrote:
Hi All:
I would suspect that the intensive spraying of insecticides in those =
counties killed most of the birds rather than WNV. This article concerns =
me because the simple absence of a species doesn't mean they were "wiped =
out" by WNV. Without the collecting of carcasses and testing them for a =
cause of death, it is pure speculation that WNV was the culprit. =
Wholesale spraying kills all the insects in the area, wiping out a major =
food source for local birds. These birds will move out of the area =
unless of course, they are killed by eating the poisoned insects. If =
they don't eat them, but feed them to their young, the young will die, =
thus accounting for a big drop in local bird numbers.=20
It seems awfully suspicious to me that this big absence of chickadees =
is only occuring in these heavily sprayed areas.
West Nile Virus has been documented in humans and birds all across =
southern Wisconsin, yet there doesn't seem to be a drop in chickadee =
numbers here. In fact, I have never seen so many chickadees while =
birding all across the state this late summer and fall.
I would hate to see municipalities use the threat of a "chickadee =
wipe-out" for an excuse to do more spraying next spring with the =
blessing of conservation groups over fears of WNV killing the birds.
-Daryl Christensen
Marquette co., WI
Karolyn Beebe wrote:
Birdwatching for science, Chicagoans found huge holes in Chickadee =
populations. The Tribune
article is below and the press release is in the BCNnet archives, =
thanks to Judy Pollock:
http://www.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/2002-October/000278.html
Virus claims another species
West Nile takes toll on chickadees
By William Mullen
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 30, 2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/
Black-capped chickadees, popular back-yard residents with a sweetly =
familiar "chickadee-dee-dee" call, have been exterminated in huge swaths =
around Chicago by West Nile virus, according to a report released =
Tuesday by the Audubon Society.
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Dear BCNneters,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Maybe someone knows if the areas =
where Chickadee=20
numbers are low were sprayed with =
pesticides, maybe to fight=20
WNV? I posted the article on the Wisbird list and it brought the =
following=20
2 replies. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Karolyn Beebe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Madison WI</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dwisbirdn@lawrence.edu =
href=3D"mailto:wisbirdn@lawrence.edu">Wisbird</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, November 07, 2002 3:51 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> re: Chickadees wiped out by WNV</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><BR></DIV><FONT size=3D2>Daryl makes a very =
good point,=20
that we MUST NOT jump to conclusions about what is killing off any=20
species. Testing to show it is WNV (or whatever) should be =
done. And=20
his other point that pesticide spraying is worse than the disease and =
does more=20
harm is right on the money as well.<BR><BR>I'm not saying chickadees are =
not=20
being killed by WNV, but we do NOT know for sure at this =
stage.<BR><BR>Bettie=20
Harriman<BR>in her woods north of Oshkosh where "my" chickadee numbers =
are about=20
the same as ever and I sure hope to keep them that way!<BR><BR>At 03:21 =
PM=20
11/7/02 -0600, Daryl Christensen wrote:</FONT><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite type=3D"cite">
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial size=3D2>Hi All:</FONT><BR><FONT face=3Darial =
size=3D2>I would=20
suspect that the intensive spraying of insecticides in those counties =
killed=20
most of the birds rather than WNV. This article concerns me because =
the simple=20
absence of a species doesn't mean they were "wiped out" by WNV. =
Without the=20
collecting of carcasses and testing them for a cause of death, it is =
pure=20
speculation that WNV was the culprit. Wholesale spraying kills all the =
insects=20
in the area, wiping out a major food source for local birds. These =
birds will=20
move out of the area unless of course, they are killed by eating the =
poisoned=20
insects. If they don't eat them, but feed them to their young, the =
young will=20
die, thus accounting for a big drop in local bird numbers. =
</FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3Darial size=3D2>It seems awfully suspicious to me that this big =
absence of=20
chickadees is only occuring in these heavily sprayed =
areas.</FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3Darial size=3D2>West Nile Virus has been documented in humans =
and birds all=20
across southern Wisconsin, yet there doesn't seem to be a drop in =
chickadee=20
numbers here. In fact, I have never seen so many chickadees while =
birding all=20
across the state this late summer and fall.</FONT><BR><FONT =
face=3Darial=20
size=3D2>I would hate to see municipalities use the threat of a =
"chickadee=20
wipe-out" for an excuse to do more spraying next spring with the =
blessing of=20
conservation groups over fears of WNV killing the =
birds.</FONT><BR><FONT=20
face=3Darial size=3D2>-Daryl Christensen</FONT><BR><FONT face=3Darial=20
size=3D2>Marquette co., WI</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Karolyn Beebe wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Birdwatching for science, Chicagoans found huge =
holes in=20
Chickadee populations. The Tribune<BR>article is below and the press =
release=20
is in the BCNnet archives, thanks to Judy Pollock:<BR></FONT><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/2002-October/000278.html"=
><FONT=20
=
size=3D2>http://www.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/2002-October/000278.html=
</FONT></A><BR><BR><FONT=20
size=3D2>Virus claims another species<BR>West Nile takes toll on=20
chickadees<BR><BR>By William Mullen<BR>Tribune staff =
reporter<BR>Published=20
October 30, 2002<BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/"><FONT=20
=
size=3D2>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/</FONT></A><BR><BR><FON=
T=20
size=3D2>Black-capped chickadees, popular back-yard residents with a =
sweetly=20
familiar "chickadee-dee-dee" call, have been exterminated in huge =
swaths=20
around Chicago by West Nile virus, according to a report released =
Tuesday by=20
the Audubon Society.<BR></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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