Another Warning From Mother Nature

Mother Nature has been trying to tell us for many years that we're destroying our environment, but most people haven't been listening. This time the warning is coming from our common backyard birds.

The National Audubon Society has just released a report showing that at least 20 species of common backyard birds have lost more than 50% of their populations in the last 40 years. This involves birds that most of us grew up with such as bobwhites, whippoorills, meadowlarks, sparrows, chickadees, terns, grouse, grackles and hummingbirds.

For example, the meadowlark population has shrunk from 24 million in 1967 to 7 million today. Bobwhites have gone from 31 million to 5.5 million, and whippoorills have gone from 2.8 million to 1.2 million.

One of the main causes of this is the disappearance natural bird habitats. Small family farms are being bought out by corporate farms, resulting in the disappearance of hedgerows and shelterbelts. Land once reserved for conservation is being planted to provide corn for more ethanol. The suburbs are gobbling up more and more land. Global climactic change is destroying habitat.

The Audubon Society is recommending several changes for Congress to consider to slow this decline. They are:

1. Reduce global warming

2. Support wetlands

3. Fund ecosystem restoration

4. Ensure biofuels are eco-friendly

5. Improve conservation programs in next farm bill

I believe the birds make life a little less grim, and I'm not ready to see them disappear. But that's not all. Many other animals will be affected by the loss of these habitats -- including us.

Maybe it's time for us to start listening to Mother Nature's warnings.