Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 21:15:47 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Meghan Tice Subject: Re: Snakes vs. Birds? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear MDOSPREY, It's somewhat appalling to read messages on a listserv devoted to a facet= of our natural environment that are seemingly anti-nature. Black rat sn= akes happen to prefer birds, their eggs, and small mammals as food source= s. We certainly cannot design menus for wild animals. This should not m= ake them the enemies of birders or cause any prejudice. Blue jays and cr= ows likely consume more bird eggs and nestlings every year than black sna= kes and the birds are more adaptable to, and acceptable in, our pathetic = suburbs. Our natural areas and wildlife are dwindling, so I think that i= f folks are witnessing native predators such as snakes, they ought to fee= l blessed. Hopefully the anti-snake birders are at least as disturbed by= all the damned house cats that humans have introduced to the landscape t= o become devastating predators to birds, lizards, frogs, and many small m= ammals (AKA hawk and owl food). Thank you for bearing with my venting and veering somewhat off topic... Meghan Tice, Lover of Birds and Snakes Glenn Dale, Prince George's County, Maryland cecropia13@msn.com =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================