** Reply to note from tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed, 16 Oct 1996 00:01:05 PDT

Kelly M. wrote -

> Yesterday, a caller to the Department of Fish and Wildlife left a lengthy
> message about a problem in Seattle (the caller hung up without leaving his
> name). The story goes something like this:
>
> Peregrines in Seattle are erasing the squirrel population. This past
> summer, a large peregrine moved in and starting eating an unusual amount of
> squirrels, reducing their numbers to only one or two in only about two weeks
> time. The little squirrels are out now. They have been seen in both West
> Seattle and Magnolia. So the question is: Do we want to give up all of the
> squirrel population to a couple of birds or do something about it? This is
> an artificial situation, similar to the sea lion situation at the locks.
> The peregrines take advantage of high wires and expanses of open lawn so
> that they are especially efficient at killing the squirrels. Because of
> this man-made situation, these birds are erasing the wildlife in these
> neighborhoods and small kitties too, right in people's yards. Something
> needs to be done about it. The birds should be moved out to the forest
> where they belong.
>
> That's it, a rather unusual kind of call, but not unprecedented for the
> values and point-of-view expressed. Are there any hawks in the city that
> regularly take Eastern Gray Squirrels out on the lawn? Should this caller
> call again, can I transfer the call to anyone out there? :)

We can only hope. Anything that can cut back the E. Gray Squirrel
population such that the Douglas' Squirrel has a chance of recuperating
from their staggering losses of the past 20 years gets my vote for good
citizen of the year.

By the way, everyone note how Tweeters is back to its old light-hearted
self since Don has returned? Welcome back, Don. We missed you.

- Jack




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