[TowerTalk] Territorial birds

[Mark Beckwith]

[Thread change alert - grew out of discussion of scrapping military tower 
trailers]

Dan, with all respect, I think you might be confused on one point.

> these are just sightings, not nests. The birds fly from the nest and back 
> to it. They are very territorial.

It reads like you are trying to make the argument that even though the 
Florida Scrub-Jays are seen, it does not necessarily mean their nests are 
nearby.

What you may not know is that birds generally establish their "territory" 
(and defend it, i.e. "they are very territorial") as the buffer zone around 
their nest.  They have to be close enough to respond quickly to any threat 
to the nest coming from any direction.  This means that if you see them, 
then, by definition, their nests *are* nearby.  Which I think is the US Fish 
and Wildlife point.  I would say you are in a position with considerable 
downside potential, and if it were me I would be working on Plan B = sell 
the property to a bird lover who has $54K he's willing to invest in the 
future of Florida Scrub-Jays.

Yes, I understand the survey you acquired concluded the birds were not 
nearby.  You're in a pissing contest with the federal government who thinks 
their survey is better than your survey.  Good luck with that.  It is not 
fair.  You are absolutely right about that.

I do very much appreciate how absurd it seems that they would take your $54K 
and not use it in any way that you could see it, and still, as you say, 
allow you to then "bulldoze the nests."  That's almost as dumb as scrapping 
perfectly good tower trailers.  The Endangered Species Act, which protects 
Florida Scrub-Jays, is not a perfect law (is there such a thing?) and is 
particularly infamous for being hijacked for political and societal reasons 
like your case-in-point.  There is obviously enough oak scrub to support the 
Florida Scrub-Jay population, especially if there are so few of the birds as 
they claim.  Plus, trust me, the birds are smart enough to find it and move. 
It's what they do.

Full disclosure: I am a bird enthusiast who also has a bunch of towers, but 
not in a state that is as environmentally overboard as Florida. Yes, the 
Endangered Species Act is a federal deal, but for some reason we don't hear 
too much about it where I live.

73
Mark, N5OT

P.S. Sorry I took too many contrarian pills this morning by accident.