Sick songbirds, deep sea life & animal traps

It's worrisome for warblers like goldfinches (NJ's state bird), sparrows and chickadees, and those who love them: Songbirds in our area are sick, and the cause is still unknown.  

The Mercer County Naturalist Newsletter recommends cleaning and putting away bird baths (10% bleach and 90% water) and feeders for the time being, while this “mortality event” that’s “occurring in nestling and fledgling songbirds in the mid-Atlantic, extending into the Southeast and eastern upper Midwest” is investigated.   https://tinyurl.com/y5epfsrx

Numerous young birds – also including orioles, woodpeckers, blue jays, robins and cardinals – have been found to have eye and neurologic issues, the publication continued.

American goldfinch

Although birds are susceptible to several viruses and bacteria, it’s already known that this outbreak was not primarily caused by salmonella, chlamydia, avian influenza virus or West Nile virus. 

Those who see birds with head tremors, partial paralysis or weakness in the legs; or birds falling to the side or unable to stand at all may contact the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Nicole Lewis (Nicole.lewis@dep.nj.gov) or call 877-WARN-DEP for any additional instructions.

The article linked here looks at this issue beyond New Jersey.  https://tinyurl.com/yay333ct

Will this season come to be called the "silent summer"?  We pray not. 

Unfinished ocean business

Soon after my last post, about marine creatures, the NYTimes book review section featured a cover

Tufted titmouse

review of two new books about ocean life.  The essay itself included myriad surprises about who lives in that vast watery world, and where – with much of the information only recently discovered, and fascinating.  If you lack time or book-length interest, at least read the review and enjoy the cover illustration. https://tinyurl.com/dux8rp5a

Trapping: a year-round horror

“The question I want to ask is simpler than [whether human beings have the right to take another animal’s life, and if so for what reasons].  I want to know why it is still legal to kill animals in ways that cause inexpressible pain and fear and destruction, to both the targeted animals and an immense range of others.”

Margaret Renkl’s opinion column last fall, “How not to kill an animal,” is powerful.  She writes against inhumane ways to kill animals when that is to be done, including animal traps, a hideously cruel vestige of earlier, less enlightened times.  Animal traps, which can torture any animal caught in them, maiming or killing pets and people, are outlawed elsewhere, but not in most of the US.  https://tinyurl.com/29tr3jx9

House sparrow

One antidote to the horrors involved with animal traps is the Sept. 14 webinar from the Humane Society of the US (described below), “Protecting your pets and wildlife from traps.”  Yes, the fall hunting season is closing in, but trapping animals happens all year round – made legal with phony claims of predator control or “nuisance” wildlife control -- and it must be fought. 

Here are details about both the trapping issue and the webinar, including a registration form.  I hope you’ll take a look and consider attending next month’s session. https://tinyurl.com/4nwjhw4e

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Please note: AnimalBeatII will return from vacation next month. This is the 200^th AnimalBeatII blog post, so if you want to keep reading about animals, your course is clear!