Help!

[Charis]

The Clarke County Utilities is killing the local flock of Quaker Parrots. This flock is just over the Columbia river from Portland. The flock nested not too far from the Portland International airport until their nest was removed from an oak tree about 10 years ago.
Any positive response on their behalf from our members would be so helpful.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie....41478bef.html

Apparently the Clarke County Utilities wanted to keep their actions quiet and from public scrutiny. One of the Councilmen in the town of Yacat, Washington
blew the story to the media.

[TAWhatley]

It looks like people need to register/join that news site in order to vote or see the results. The "No" votes have a good lead at the moment. If you are already a member, you just need to sign in.

It seems to me that more timely and proper maintenance of those power lines/transformers could have avoided any problems and would not have resulted in killing any of the birds. I wonder how many babies and/or eggs got eradicated.

Terry

[TheSnipes]

Hmm. I wonder if my "NO" vote got counted then, cuz I declined to register. I better go back and do it again.

disgusts me, because all it takes is a little patience and ingenuity to allow us to coexist with all the beasts. WHY is it always too much to ask of people to make the effort!

[Charis]

I've been working all day to get folks to make comments and vote. So if you need to register, please do.

[pdpbison]

I believe all they need to is erect slightly 'taller' Poles with integral landings for new Nests to be built, and, the Birds would soon abandon the 'lower' Power Company Pole Nests, and elect the taller ones.

Likely no Babys at the moment, or, it IS "cold" there now, into the 20s and so on, and wouldn't they breed in Spring and Summer instead of Winter?

Anyway...


Ultimately, providing close by taller Poles and high landings would be worth more in good PR than the really very slight cost financially, and, would solve the problem.


Wish I had their ear...


I am impressed that such little, Tropical, 'Parakeets' can manage in such a sometimes COLD clime...and appearently, even thrive! - wow...



Phil
l v

[Charis]

Quaker Parakeets are small parrots. The live in large communities and build codo style nests. Each pair has a nest that consists of a front room and a back room. The back room is used for incubating eggs and rearing hatch lings. The front room is used for newly weaned young that live with the parents until they mate a build their own condo. When they mate, it is for life.
The nest structures are amazing. They become very heavy and the clever Quakers just keep adding on to the nest structure.
We have had small flocks of Quakers in the Portland area for years. Best guess is that new arrivals, likely wild caught, escaped from a shipment that had arrived at Portland International Airport. The largest flock makes it's home within a mile of PDX. That flock was dislocated from it's huge nest well over 10 years ago. The deed was done in early spring and the nests were checked for young prior to demolition and no birds were killed. For years I kept part of the nest until it finally fell apart.
Clearly, Clark County utilities hasn't tried very hard to find a humane solution. The fact that they had wanted to do it without the public finding out, deeply troubles me. The community wants the birds. I don't think finding homes for these birds is the solution either. I think the solution is to leave them be and build them a condo structure within eye sight of the destroyed nest. It's cold now and they must be desperate for shelter.
Destroying nature because mankind collides with it is just wrong. As for the invasive species theory...humans have become the most invasive of all.
One of the great loves of my life was Niki the rescued Quaker. Niki was amazing.
Killing of the Quakers has been put off. The pressure on the utilities to keep it that way must continue. Please vote and continue with comments.

[Margarret]

Charis,

I tried to register and vote. It kept kicking me out. I'll try again later, perhaps it has too many hits at this hour.

This is one of those total outrages. Those nests have been there for a long time. They have known about them for a long time as well. I just hate the sneaky, by night, approach these people use. Their mentality is if it is a problem, just kill it. Grrrrr, boils my blood. Violence toward anything doesn't take any brains. Creative solutions do. I better stop here before I climb any higher on my soapbox.

Margaret

[Charis]

Originally Posted by Margarret

Charis,

I tried to register and vote. It kept kicking me out. I'll try again later, perhaps it has too many hits at this hour.

This is one of those total outrages. Those nests have been there for a long time. They have known about them for a long time as well. I just hate the sneaky, by night, approach these people use. Their mentality is if it is a problem, just kill it. Grrrrr, boils my blood. Violence toward anything doesn't take any brains. Creative solutions do. I better stop here before I climb any higher on my soapbox.

Margaret

You're preachin to the choir!

[Charis]

For any of you that are willing, the utility company can be contacted directly at...mailbox@clarkpud.com
Please be direct and respectful.

[TheSnipes]

Originally Posted by Margarret

Charis,

I tried to register and vote. It kept kicking me out. I'll try again later, perhaps it has too many hits at this hour.

This is one of those total outrages. Those nests have been there for a long time. They have known about them for a long time as well. I just hate the sneaky, by night, approach these people use. Their mentality is if it is a problem, just kill it. Grrrrr, boils my blood. Violence toward anything doesn't take any brains. Creative solutions do. I better stop here before I climb any higher on my soapbox.

Margaret

I had hte same issues but I think eventually I got to vote because it displayed the results for me, although I have not been able to post a comment yet.

Move over on your soapbox cuz we want to join you

Thanks for the email address Charis, going to compose a letter then sleep on it and edit with a cooler head

[Charis]

The purpose of this post is to "bump" this thread up to remind those of you that haven't, to vote and hopefully comment.

[maryjane]

Thank you for bumping this up, Charis. I tried to register the other day when you posted it but the site wouldn't load. I did register, vote, and comment today. There are SO MANY comments against this, it is heartening to see. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

PS) I need a spot on the soapbox too!!!

[pdpbison]

I voted...and I will write to them also at

mailbox@clarkpud.com



I want to remind them that benificient and no-harm solutions are possible, and easy to do..!


Heck, they have all sorts of Engineers and Technical people on their staffs, if those boys got into doing a little reading and research, THEY could really get into it, and enjoy the challenge..! designing alternative Poles and Landings, higher ones, which the Birds would then choose, leaving the Power Poles alone...

Cheap, easy, simple, and would make everyone happy..!


The Power Company could even adopt a Quaker Parrot Icon for a Mascot for Pete's sake...! That would be a hoot...and have Radio and Tee-Vee Commercials where a Parrot is the Spokesman admonishing Customers about use less! enjoy it more! Or whatever...


Lol...


Sure wish I was the darned CEO...I'd really put them on the 'Map' for 'cool'...


I will write them and try and bend their ear a little...


Phil
l v

[Charis]

http://www.koin.com/Global/story.asp?S=7434714

As of tonight, several stories have surfaced regarding the plight of the Quaker parakeets.

Bob Salanger, of the Audubon Society has spoken with the Clark County PUD directly and offered to take the birds and house them at the Wild Life Care Center.

One news station reported that the community has put up nest boxes, for the birds, to keep them from rebuilding on the transformers. That story indicated the birds would be able to stay in the community.

Yet another version is pasted at the top of this post.

My feeling is that the Quakers are going to be ok. By ok I mean not killed. I suspect their freedom may be taken away and that's unfortunate because the impact they have on other wildlife is minimal. The positive impact they have made on the little community they life in is huge.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that voted on the KGW site, left comments, emailed the Clark County PUD and helped me spread the word about this situation.