Hi folks,
Speaking of birds and boats,the following just came via another list...

Trileigh Stroh

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 12:31:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brenda I. Allen <allenb at seattleu.edu>
To: ecology-list at seattleu.edu
Subject: Nesting in strange places (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 06:31:38 -0400
From: David J Knowles <dknowles at dowco.com>
To: ar-news at envirolink.org
Subject: Nesting in strange places

A routine procedure nearly turned out to be disastrous for a bird and its
eggs earlier this week.

Capt. Josef Gavalovich, of the Polish-registered bulk carrier 'Kopalnia
Ziemont' had given the order to drop the starboard anchor when an alert
crewman spotted a bird's nest on the anchor's fluke.

Capt. Gavalovich immediately halted the lower of that anchor, and ordered
the port one be dropped instead.

The ship moved from its anchorage in Vancouver's English Bay, and sailed
into the port to unload its cargo of concentrates, starboard anchor still in
the position it was in when halted, and the crew being extra careful in
docking the ship so has not to disturb their stowaway.

Captain Gavalovich, when asked by a CBC reporter why he had done this just
for one bird, he replied that he happened to love birds and pointed with
pride to the row of ribbons on his uniform. "This green one is for being
good to the environment," he said. "I got it when I worked for the Ministry
of Transport in Poland for helping birds."

The ship was due to sail at high tide Wednesday night, a task that the
bird-loving Captain didn't relish.

"The mother isn't around - we haven't seen her today, and when we set sail,
the wind will just blow the nest away," he said.

-David

[Source: CBC-BC Evening News]