It is "spring time" in our cities and Mother Nature has called fish and fowl and birds and mammals to pair up and parent. And those wild creatures that have taken up residency in the dense urban environment of our cities face survival challenges their relatives in the countryside do not. Cities have streets that impede their travels, threatening high volume car and truck traffic, volumes of active people and pets sometimes roaming the outdoors.
There are more small wildlife road kill fatalities on city streets in the second quarter of the year than other months. More bird nests are disturbed; too many young birds and animals are chased by pets. And all within a period of time local wild creatures are less wary, cautious and attentive and at risk.
I live near a five-acre drainage pond that holds storm water and attracts ducks and geese and shore birds. The pond has a small weeded island near the middle where last spring a pair of Canada geese chose to build a nest. One day I observed an adult in hip wades out in the pond approaching the island and goose nest. The brooding goose and her partner flushed from the nest and flew some distance away, frightened and loudly honking. The man reached down touched or picked up the eggs then left. The goose returned to the island but never returned to sit and hatch the eggs once touched by the trespasser. During this same period during my daily travels I observed far more squirrel and cottontail rabbit carcasses on the streets than normal. Often times there would be two road kills --; a sign of a mated pair chasing each other or simply activity during the parenting period.
It behooves us all to drive more carefully, be watchful, aware, alert to wildlife at the edge of city streets; to stay a distance from bird nests and small wild animals and birds. It is critical to keep small children and pets away from nests, birds and small animals. Our cities' open space and parks and even our neighborhoods offer so much more with the presence and sounds of wildlife and birds.
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Springtime-warning-for-wildlife,211717
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