Public Service Announcement

Peregrine Falcon at nest box

 Please do not pick up dead birds.

We've been visiting the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook Bridge in Amsterdam pretty regularly lately, hoping to see the nesting Peregrine Falcons there. After being gated for weeks the bridge walkway was finally open today so I could hike over to Riverlink Park. Earlier in the winter I went around the gates and struggled up on the bridge over the ice, but I was waiting every second for someone to arrest me and take me away. Thus I only did it once. Today there was no ice and no gates.

There was indeed a Peregrine Falcon perched on the nest box though. Hopefully they will have a successful nesting season this summer.

There was also the most incredible number of crow droppings and feathers I have ever seen. Had to be experienced to be imagined...no possibility of taking a single step without crunching on a dozen.

Icky.

I soon encountered five of the cutest, sweetest kids you could imagine. They thought I was a photographer and asked me to take pics of them. When they discovered that my camera could not provide them with a copy, they had me use one of their phones to take one for them.

Off they went.

Before I could realize what they were doing they came upon a dead crow that I had not noticed. One girl picked it up in her arms and carried it off to try to toss it in the river.

Missed. 

I caught up with them and gently suggested that prompt and thorough hand-washing would be in order due to the possibility of Avian Influenza.

They looked at me like I had three heads and went on about their business (which looked to be a morning of fun on the bridge.)

Hopefully the crow met its fate in some other way and the kids and nesting Peregrines will be fine.

Also hopefully the roost disperses soon. What a mess! Geese spend some time on the grass there too, so I am sure you can imagine. My shoes got a good dose of disinfectant when we got home.

Anyhow, picking up dead critters without gloves etc. is not a good idea, especially with such a deadly disease making the rounds among the wild things. It would be great if it ran its course soon.