Email from the Office for Migratory Birds

Please tell me what sense this makes - I have to take the birds into consideration for loosing their natural habitat. Really! The Cattle Egrets have not lost their natural habitat - they don't belong. They were either brought over by a Rancher who thought it was a good idea or they hitched a ride on a Transatlantic Ship. They have no natural predators here - as a matter of fact they are preying on a natural bird species in California which is being threatened. They are also pushing out the Heron and Egrets that do belong here.

Here's a thought - there might be enough natural habitat for the species that do belong if the Cattle Egret was not here. Just saying...

Animal Control

This is too funny not to post...the Animal Control Officer was called out tonight to pick up some stragglers that have fallen out of the nest. Since the Egrets come back at night to roost there are alot of them in the trees. He is on our street in a rain slicker with the hood up!

Dr Tuggle's Office with USFWS

I received a call today from Jerry at Dr. Tuggles office. He said they need our address so they could send a letter. I asked him if it was another "sorry sucks for you there is nothing we can do letter". It is...

I told him about the number of birds that have been picked up off the street. This was cruel and unusual punishment. The fact we can't go outside with mask - we are prisoners in our own homes.
I told him I knew there was a grant to pay for the USFWS Agent to come out and scare them off next year. Why is there no grant to clean up after them? If we are forced to live with them which is not our choice why do we have to pay to clean up after them? Why do we have to absorb the cost for something that has been forced on us??

and the numbers are...

Did I mention we are about to hit the 500 mark? That is the number of birds that have been picked up off the streets. We are currently at 476 birds - a majority of them were dead. It really is 477 because now there is a dead one in the alley. I am unsure if he fell out of the tree in back or wandered into the alley.

Isn't it great what we are currently living with? This is just the babies that have fallen out of the trees - there are still several more up in the trees.

FEMA

I tried calling FEMA today to see if they could provide any assistance. Well it is a Federally protected bird that is creating the disaster in my neighborhood.

Guess what answer I got...there is another law that makes this outside their jurisdiction.

What a surprise...NOT!

On to the next goverment agency to see what other kind of answer I can get.

City Council Meeting 07/12/11

Here's what I said tonight...

Good Evening Mayor, Council and City Staff. I am here again tonight to speak about the bird infestation of our neighborhood. We have spent yet another summer outdoor holiday prisoners in our own homes.

I emailed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding the air quality in our neighborhood. The ammonia levels due to the bird droppings are overwhelming. High levels of ammonia are hazardous to humans, especially with prolonged exposure. It can cause nausea, headaches, eye and skin irritation, fatigue, breathing issues and trigger migraines. Alisa Taylor called me back and stated because the problem was created by a federally protected bird it would fall to the City or our County Health Department to assist us.

I also left a message for Dr. Shelly Stonecipher with the Texas Department of State Health Services regarding the air quality issue in our neighborhood. I then received a call back from Juan Rodriguez with the Denton County Health Department. I advised him several of the residence are experiencing respiratory problems. The dander and feathers in the air from the birds make it look like we have Cottonwood trees. I advised him I was going to see my Doctor Saturday due to my sinuses. He told me he would call me back Monday to follow up.

I have a sinus infection with a sore inside my nose which I have never had before. I have also had a migraine for over a week. I never received a call back from Mr. Rodriguez which only confirms again that our cries and pleas for help are falling on deaf ears.

I am quite frankly amazed at the lack of help or concern for the residence of our neighborhood. Everyone seems to be more concerned with the bird's rights over the tax paying citizens rights. Most of the birds aren't even supposed to be here - they are and invasive species. Everyone keeps hiding behind a law that was not intended to cause harm to humans.

In the pamphlet you left on our doors from Texas Parks and Wildlife the last sentence of the first paragraph states: However, this beauty and concern for population well being cannot completely overshadow other management needs in certain circumstances where these birds strongly conflict with human needs.

I still don't understand how our current situation does not strongly conflict with human needs. How is extreme amount of droppings, regurgitation, broken eggs, fish, frogs, snakes, dead birds and insects not conflicting? Our current living situation is quite frankly cruel and unusual punishment.

I want to leave you with a quote from Edmund Burke to think about tonight when you go home to your nice clean and quite neighborhood. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Punishment...

Our current living situation is cruel and unusual punishment.

We are being punished since our neighborhood doesn't have the $250k and up homes.

We are being punished since our neighborhood doesn't have high voter turn out for Municipal Elections.

We are being punished due to the income demographics for the neighborhood.

We are being punished for being hard working, tax paying citizens.

We are being punished for being foolish enough to believe our City or Goverment officals would help us.