Michael Price wrote:

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>Such an attitude is reflected in the local 'official' record-keeping where
>observations of Lesser and Greater Scaup, Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes,
>Bufflehead, and most other common migrant species are *so* lacking as to
>make impossible the derivation of accurate arrival and departure dates (ten
>years is really all you need to get a pretty accurate average arrival,
>departure, or average peak abundance dates). I have tried through personal
>observation to fill the holes therein, and to draw out whatever likely
>patterns from what data there is.

Too true. Not an easy task for any one person. Your efforts are laudable.
Should be a concerted group effort done over many years, all entered into a
GIS-type system where cause and effect can be better studied.

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>In Vancouver BC, there's a long, virtually unbroken history of not knowing
>what we've got in the way of local populations and how they work (though
>we're fireballs on identifying rarities, yesirree!) and losing them to
>development or to non-wildlife use of the habitat before anyone bestirs to
>wonder or care. To me, it's like reading accounts of the death of the last
>old man or woman who spoke a language that no-one ever wrote down or >taped, and it died with them. Once gone, it's gone forever, and we'll never >know, and that leaves an ugly emptiness all the more squalid for being >easily avoidable. Hope that doesn't happen here. Again.

This presupposes that humans can ever know how local bird populations work - a
big assumption - but, of course, is no reason not to try to find out. And I
doubt if Vancouver, BC is the only spot so afflicted by the "skimming off the
cream" syndrome. I have a big hole in my heart every time I go home to
Tsawwassen. Where once there was a backyard with 5 or 6 huge Bigleaf Maples
filled with goldfinches and siskins; brush piles full of towhees, sparrows and
wrens; and the local pair of Red-tailed Hawks tumbling on the spring breeze -
there is now a suburban emptiness of modern house design replete with House
Sparrows and House Finches.

>But if it does, please consider the above post as an attempt to record what
>is there before the change or loss.

So considered, Michael. As always, your passion shines through. It may seem to
be a constant rerun of the David and Goliath struggle; but the only way you
will ever change the status quo in Vancouver is to keep harping on the
benefits of a better way of doing things.

- Jack



Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
CANADA
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca