Dave and fellow birders,

That's fascinating that Caspian Terns may be starting to breed on Young
Island in Lake Champlain. This sighting underscores the role of Young Island
as one of the foremost nesting islands in Vermont for waterbirds -- it's
been designated only one of 21 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the state on
that basis. So I was surprised to learn that the Vermont Department of Fish
and Wildlife has recently developed a plan to substantially reduce waterbird
populations on the island by egg oiling and shooting, as alluded to in
Dave's message. Apparently the objective is to grow trees on the island.
While trees have the potential to benefit nesting birds like herons,
destroying thousands of gull nests and shooting adults seems to be a drastic
reaction that hasn't been well thought-through. Are many other birders aware
of these activities? If enough people in the birding community share
concerns about this, perhaps we can persuade the state to pursue more
reasonable alternatives.


Scott Schwenk
[log in to unmask]
South Burlington

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 11:41 AM, David Capen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Caspian terns have been frequenting Young Island, in Grand Isle, recently.
>  On Monday, I watched from a blind on the island as a pair courted and began
> making a nest scrape.  Caspians nested on Young Island initially in 2000,
> but have not been observed on a nest since 2003. Let's hope the repeated
> disturbances from the Fish and Wildlife Department's management of
> cormorants and gulls, and their planting of trees on the island, don't
> disrupt nesting by this species.
>