Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 23:15:46 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Steve Huy Subject: (no subject) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just received my Yellowthroat today from MOS. I was very pleased with the MOS letter regarding the Mute Swan Task Force comments. I thought it was well written and I certainly commend MOS for taking such a stand. The only thing lacking was a comparison to the starling (someone liked them once and look what happened)! Keep up the good work and sensible attitude towards conservation. So perhaps that isn't appropriate for this list, but I assume there are many MOS members here. So today I heard my first grasshopper sparrow. It's been interesting following the comments about house sparrows. Remember that they are a nonnative, invasive and aggressive species. Do not feel bad about disposing them. I don't like killing things, but they are known to sometimes kill other species of birds. We brought them here so killing a few is only doing a tiny (and probably ineffective) part towards making things right. Get a BB gun, make it quick so there is no suffering of the sparrows. Then remove the BB and leave the sparrows in a safe place where some predator can have an easy meal. Eventually that predator will pass on to be eaten by insects that will be eaten by bluebirds and you've returned those sparrows in the form their elements were intended to be. J. Steven Huy Middletown, Maryland, USA mailto: nsawwhet@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================