Dear Deb,

1. You wrote: "rice island [sic] is an artificial island. it is the
result of dredging
activity in the columbia river to deepen the channel for barges
and other large boats. it isn't as though the caspian terns have
traditionally nested on this island because, after all, without
human activity, this island would not exist in the first place!"

2. Lauren Braden sensibly replied: "I always find this perspective
interesting... that birdwatchers can be dismissive the protection of
these birds because they nest on an
artificial island.

The Caspian terns nest on an artificial island because we have impacted
natural habitat nesting areas. Swallows nest under bridges, bluebirds
and wood ducks nest in man-made boxes, ospreys nest on telephone poles,
and woodpeckers nest in snags that people purchase from landscapers for
their backyards! Do these birds not deserve protection?"

3. You replied: "i was making an observation. your interpretation of
that observation
belongs to you and to you only."

I think this reply is disingenuous. It tries not very subtly to evade
the responsibility for the position it takes: namely, that biologists
have the right to harrass creatures (in this case the Caspian terns)
which try to live anywhere human beings have disturbed the natural
environment. Lauren Braden's reply was very much to the point [i think].

Paul Webster
PWebst25 at concentric.net