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Subject:

Wild Turkey in Waldorf & The Future of Whip-poor-wills

From:

"George M. Jett"

Reply-To:

George M. Jett

Date:

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:41:42 -0500

Folks

I just got crappy images of Wild Turkey in my front yard.  I live off of Mill Hill Road in north Charles County.  There were about 5 animals.  This is a scene likely not to repeat again w/ the rapid destruction of the forest around here.  

Our county officials don't care about the natural history of this area.  Development in the "development district" is the counties no tree left standing policy.  New schools (three), community center, a library, many, many, many new homes, and the four lane, 150 wide road seems to their goal.  This road is going to cut through the only Whip-poor-will nesting area in this part of Charles County.  The Whip-poor-wills don't vote or pay taxes, so extirpating the species is of no interest to the planning people.   Destroying the only nesting habitat of the Whip-poor-wills is immoral, but the environmental assessment is not likely to mention them.  

Last year Mr. David Umling, our Director of Planning, told me in a public meeting "this is the price we have to pay" when I asked him about destruction of the Whip's habitat.  I wonder what he would think if he went away for the winter and came back to find his house bulldozed down.  

My winter Red-shouldered Hawks are still feeding in the back yard.  Today they were joined by seven Black and three Turkey Vultures.  The male Eastern Towhee is still on territory.  I also found a white egg near one of my feeder stations.  I wonder if a Mourning Dove dropped it?  The egg is about an inch in length and a dull white w/ no spotting.

George Jett
9505 Bland Street
Waldorf, MD 20603