July 25, Hammonasset John Schwarz I don't usually vent, but yesterday I was observing peeps in the rain puddles in the grassy areas adjacent to the parking lot across from the swan pond. Between yesterday and today those puddles have all been filled in and rolled flat. The puddles are gone, and of course so are the birds. This is not even in an actual parking area and it is impossible to imagine what the purpose of this intervention could possible have been. What kind of clueless morons keep coming up with these mindless destructive ideas? I am just so disgusted. John Schwarz Sent from AOL Mobile Mail

John, very frustrating indeed. The shorebirds love(d) those puddles. There clearly has to be better communication between the folks who make those decisions and an educated person/committee who could advise them otherwise. COA? Of course, a man-made pool or two created and managed for shorebird habitat at that end of the park would be too much to ask. Would be nice, though. Nick Bonomo Wallingford, CT www.shorebirder.com Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 25, 2017, at 1:12 PM, john--- via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > July 25, Hammonasset > John Schwarz > > I don't usually vent, but yesterday I was observing peeps in the rain puddles in the grassy areas adjacent to the parking lot across from the swan pond. Between yesterday and today those puddles have all been filled in and rolled flat. The puddles are gone, and of course so are the birds. > > This is not even in an actual parking area and it is impossible to imagine what the purpose of this intervention could possible have been. What kind of clueless morons keep coming up with these mindless destructive ideas? I am just so disgusted. > > John Schwarz > > > > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

I can't stand it. I have personally tried to combat issues like this and I have not had even one small victory. I vented here about some of them a while back. Two cemeteries I bird are still filling in wetlands. My town still mows about 60+ acres of grassland weekly at its transfer station (at great time and expense) that renders the grassland fairly sterile. Friends still let their cats roam outdoors, private citizens continue to fill in or destroy wetlands in my patch. Officials, elected or otherwise, who are supposed to prevent these things either do not return phone calls and emails; or they say what you want to hear and the destruction continues. You can do all of the preventative protection you want, but once an area is destroyed, it is rarely reversible. Some people on this list serve have put a lot of time and effort into preventing the very thing that John describes. Yet, someone or someones put some time, effort, and expense to further erode the quality of Hammonasset for no gain to anyone or anything. Shorebird pools are a topic that the people who manage Hammo should be well aware of. Glenn Williams Mystic

I have sent a copy of John's post (name deleted) to Susan Whalen, the Deputy Commissioner. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something. Kathy Van Der Aue Southport, Connecticut Visit my Blog at http://naturaliststable.wordpress.com On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 1:35 PM, Nick Bonomo via CTBirds < ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > John, very frustrating indeed. The shorebirds love(d) those puddles. > > There clearly has to be better communication between the folks who make > those decisions and an educated person/committee who could advise them > otherwise. COA? > > Of course, a man-made pool or two created and managed for shorebird > habitat at that end of the park would be too much to ask. Would be nice, > though. > > Nick Bonomo > Wallingford, CT > www.shorebirder.com > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jul 25, 2017, at 1:12 PM, john--- via CTBirds < > ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > > > July 25, Hammonasset > > John Schwarz > > > > I don't usually vent, but yesterday I was observing peeps in the rain > puddles in the grassy areas adjacent to the parking lot across from the > swan pond. Between yesterday and today those puddles have all been filled > in and rolled flat. The puddles are gone, and of course so are the birds. > > > > This is not even in an actual parking area and it is impossible to > imagine what the purpose of this intervention could possible have been. > What kind of clueless morons keep coming up with these mindless destructive > ideas? I am just so disgusted. > > > > John Schwarz > > > > > > > > > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail > > _______________________________________________ > > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association > (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/ > mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/ > mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org >