[Durham INC] [TPD-NC] Bird Feeding Stop Alert/Help birds: Serious new songbird epidemic, US Geological Survey asks for moratorium on feeders/bird baths

Thu Jul 1 16:45:10 EDT 2021

I can take my bird feeder down, but I don't get many birds (I think they
don't like the budget feed I use ;-) ). But I have a fountain and the birds
bathe in it. Is there anything I can do to disinfect it? Or should I reach
out to Kindra myself?

Mimi Kessler
919-599-2892

On Thu, Jul 1, 2021 at 1:54 PM Wendy Bernhardt <wendybernhardt at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I contacted CLAWS and received feedback from the executive director below (see
> indented email exchange starting from the bottom up), which is different
> from the N.C. Wildlife rep's response (below that). The FB link Kindra is
> referring to is here:
> https://www.facebook.com/ClawsNC/posts/10159232861234920.
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Kindra <mrsclaws at nc-claws.org>
> Date: Thu, Jul 1, 2021 at 10:30 AM
> Subject: RE: [Anderson / Wrightwood Neighbors] new disease killing birds,
> take feeders down?
> To: Wendy B <wendybernhardt at gmail.com>
>
> I posted it to our facebook page, you are more than welcome to send either
>> out
>>
> I just ask that people stop attacking me.  I’m not enforcement, I can’t
>> make anybody remove their feeders, all I can do is suggest based on what we
>> are seeing daily
>>
>
>>
> Thank you,
>>
>
>>
> *Kindra D. Mammone*
>>
>
>>
> Executive Director
>>
> CLAWS, Inc.
>>
> www.nc-claws.org
>>
> https://www.facebook.com/ClawsNC/
>>
>
>>
> *"Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll
>> understand."*
>>
>
>>
> *From:* Wendy B <wendybernhardt at gmail.com>
>>
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 1, 2021 10:14 AM
>>
> *To:* Kindra <mrsclaws at nc-claws.org>
>>
> *Subject:* Re: [Anderson / Wrightwood Neighbors] new disease killing
>> birds, take feeders down?
>>
>
>>
> Thank you for your quick response, Kindra! Would it be okay to send this
>> out to the thousands of people that are on listservs I belong to and
>> elsewhere, e.g., Nextdoor?
>>
>
>>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
>> From: Kindra <mrsclaws at nc-claws.org>
>> Date: Thu, Jul 1, 2021 at 10:08 AM
>> Subject: RE: [Anderson / Wrightwood Neighbors] new disease killing birds,
>> take feeders down?
>> To: Wendy B <wendybernhardt at gmail.com>
>>
> Hello Wendy and thank you for writing.
>>
>> I’d like to go back to the last bird disease that went around in our area
>> (the one people were convinced was salmonella but was never positively
>> identified as such).  CLAWS initially put out a warning to take down
>> feeders in January, the state and CDC and other government officials did
>> not come out with an official stance until early March.
>>
>> Rehabbers tend to see these issues long before the state does.  I know I
>> talked to the state just a week prior to their last news release to please
>> stop feeding and was told much the same as you were in this email.  Because
>> they hadn’t yet gotten enough reports whereas by that time, we’d received
>> hundreds of pictures of dead birds, all with the same symptoms.
>>
>> Having said that, we also get finch eye disease in our area when we get a
>> lot of rain and always suggest cleaning and removing bird feeders for at
>> least a week so as not to spread the disease.
>>
>> We are currently seeing an uprising in birds with “infected” eyes and
>> neurological symptoms, the same as in other states, so we are trying to
>> warn people.
>>
>> Sadly, many need to wait to have the state confirm what we are already
>> seeing and many more birds could suffer and die for this reason.
>>
>> I’m not saying we are the be all end all of decisions.  Many never took
>> their feeders down the last time and somehow the disease seemed to go away
>> (though I’m not sure this isn’t just the second wave of the same disease).
>> What people choose to do is up to them.
>>
>> As rehabbers who are seeing this, it is our responsibility to the animals
>> to try to help and warn people.
>>
>> Removing feeders won’t harm birds, leaving them up with a deadly disease
>> potentially in the area could harm them.  The choice is up to you.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> *Kindra D. Mammone*
>>
>> Executive Director
>>
>> CLAWS, Inc.
>>
>> www.nc-claws.org
>>
>> https://www.facebook.com/ClawsNC/
>>
>> *"Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and
>> I'll understand."*
>>
>>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
>  From: Susan
> Date: Thu, Jul 1, 2021 at 12:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [npna] Bird Feeding Stop Alert/Help birds: Serious new
> songbird epidemic, US Geological Survey asks for moratorium on feeders/bird
> baths
> To: <npna at groups.io>
>
> The neighbor of a friend contacted the NC Wildlife Resources Commission to
> ask about this.  Here’s what they said.
>
> *Thank you for your email and for your concern about our native bird
> populations. I have seen this source (and others) concerning the mystery
> illness you mention. As of yet, we have not found any cases of this illness
> in our state. I suspect that when we do, we will surely put out another
> media alert as we did when the salmonella outbreak occurred earlier this
> year. At this time, we have not issued any guidance on measures to protect
> our native birds. Please remain vigilant to any sick or dead birds showing
> these signs/symptoms and for any media releases we may have in the future
> on the topic. Thank you again for your concern of our natural wildlife.*
>
>
> *Sean Stanton,*
>
> *Human-Wildlife Interactions Biologist*
> *NC Wildlife Resources Commission*
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: chander2 <chander2nyc at gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, Jun 30, 2021 at 12:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [TPD-NC] Bird Feeding Stop Alert/Help birds: Serious new
> songbird epidemic, US Geological Survey asks for moratorium on feeders/bird
> baths
> To: Debra A Hawkins <dhawkins913311 at gmail.com>
> Cc: <DukePark at groups.io>, Trinity Park Listserv <
> trinityparkdurhamnc at groups.io>, Old West <owdna at googlegroups.com>, Old
> North Durham <main at ondna.groups.io>, stadium-heights <
> stadium-heights at googlegroups.com>, <walltown-neighbors at googlegroups.com>,
> <inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net>, Colonial Village Durham <
> colonial-village-durham at googlegroups.com>
>
>
> A. This is an alert that may or may not be completely up to date. (In
> reviewing the material linked below I saw date going back to May in some on
> of the info).
>
> B. Perhaps more importantly, there is no unified call to stop feeding
> birds that has been communicated through multiple sources (like Audobon
> society, the EPA, and others). What is being said is, IF you choose to have
> bird feeders, clean them regularly. Which -spoiler alert - you should be
> doing anyway. If you wouldn't eat off of dirty dishes, or put pet food in
> bowl that's only cleaned once every few months, why would you treat a bird
> feeder any differently?
>
> Please don't simply pass along fear mongering summations that arent
> accurate.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Debra Hawkins <dhawkins913311 at gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, Jun 29, 2021 at 6:24 PM
> Subject: [WHHNA-list] Bird Feeding Stop Alert/Help birds: Serious new
> songbird epidemic, US Geological Survey asks for moratorium on feeders/bird
> baths
> To: WHHNA-List List <whhna-list at whhna.org>
>
> Dear neighbors, a new unknown/poorly understood disease is ravaging bird
>> populations on the Eastern Seaboard, and spreading to many states and
>> inland. USGS has put out a call for backyard birders to take down feeders
>> and birdbaths to help stop/slow transmission until more is understood or
>> solutions/help is possible. Rehab places are being overwhelmed with
>> sick/dying songbirds and cannot save them all. Please read the below
>> information/check out other articles and consider taking your birding aids
>> offline till the professionals/scientists let us know what or when to
>> resume. Sadly, we need to help our avian population socially distance too
>> -- before flocking season starts in the fall. Many thanks to our local
>> wildlife certified rehabbers and CLAWS INC. for the heads up. As always,
>> please feel free to share and distribute as you wish, and please forgive
>> any duplicate postings not seen/simply disregard if not relevant or
>> interested. Thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>> “Birds of the mid-Atlantic are disappearing at an alarming rate, says
>> the U.S. Geological Survey
>> <https://www.usgs.gov/news/interagency-statement-usgs-and-partners-investigating-dc-area-bird-mortality-event?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=0a3f1fb9-caf4-46cb-a52f-e23845585a6c&utm_content=u.s.+geological+survey+%28usgs%29&utm_campaign=biosurveillance-fy21>,
>> which is urging residents to refrain from feeding the animals until more is
>> known about a mysterious disease that causes eye swelling, neurological
>> damage and, ultimately, death.
>>
>> In a recent joint statement by the USGS on behalf of a number of state
>> agencies throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and DC, they warned
>> that birds that congregate in feeders and baths are likely to transmit the
>> illness, which has not yet been identified by wildlife experts. They ask
>> residents to disinfect and remove such ornaments from their homes until the
>> “mortality event” has ended and more is known about how the disease can be
>> treated or prevented.”
>>
>>
>> https://nypost.com/2021/06/22/mysterious-disease-is-killing-hundreds-of-birds-in-dc-area/?fbclid=IwAR0S7Ru5w5KkvpZe6nuOOPRwtREGfEshKf8nIikThEIq3Td5kfrsGglOy98
>>
>>
>>
>> D in NGP
>>
> _._,_._,_
> ------------------------------
> Groups.io Links:
>
> You receive all messages sent to this group.
>
> View/Reply Online (#4934)
> <https://groups.io/g/trinityparkdurhamnc/message/4934> | Reply To Sender
> <wendybernhardt at gmail.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BTPD-NC%5D%20Bird%20Feeding%20Stop%20Alert%2FHelp%20birds%3A%20Serious%20new%20songbird%20epidemic%2C%20US%20Geological%20Survey%20asks%20for%20moratorium%20on%20feeders%2Fbird%20baths>
> | Reply To Group
> <trinityparkdurhamnc at groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BTPD-NC%5D%20Bird%20Feeding%20Stop%20Alert%2FHelp%20birds%3A%20Serious%20new%20songbird%20epidemic%2C%20US%20Geological%20Survey%20asks%20for%20moratorium%20on%20feeders%2Fbird%20baths>
> | Mute This Topic <https://groups.io/mt/83879904/4253376> | New Topic
> <https://groups.io/g/trinityparkdurhamnc/post>
> ------------------------------
> You are receiving this message because you have subscribed to it. If you
> wish to be taken off this listserv, you must unsubscribe by sending an
> email to trinityparkdurhamnc+unsubscribe at groups.io
> ------------------------------
> Your Subscription
> <https://groups.io/g/trinityparkdurhamnc/editsub/4253376> | Contact Group
> Owner <trinityparkdurhamnc+owner at groups.io> | Unsubscribe
> <https://groups.io/g/trinityparkdurhamnc/unsub> [mimikessler1 at gmail.com]
> _._,_._,_
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.deltaforce.net/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20210701/97c46006/attachment.htm>