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From: geoffs@gssc.UUCP (Geoff Shapiro)
Newsgroups: rec.birds,sci.bio
Subject: Re: birds versus lawn chemicals
Message-ID: <505@gssc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Sep-87 23:56:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: gssc.505
Posted: Thu Sep  3 23:56:07 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Sep-87 23:15:35 EDT
References: <5298@ihlpa.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: geoffs@gssc.UUCP (Geoff Shapiro)
Organization: Graphic Software Systems, Beaverton Or
Lines: 25
Keywords: pesticides birds nature
Xref: mnetor rec.birds:234 sci.bio:636

In article <5298@ihlpa.ATT.COM> harolds1@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Schessler) writes:
>My office overlooks acres of grass. This should not be a cause of anxiety but
>it has become so. Each spring when the robins arrive they are a delight to watch
>and hear. Then the lawn chemical trucks arrive (they use herbicides plus ? here).
>The birds quickly disappear to not show up until the next spring.
>
>Can anyone tell me whether the birds are too smart to feed here after spraying
>or whether they are killed (or made sick and die later) each year?
>It seems so odd and unnatural to not see birds here most of the year.
>
>Harold Schessler ATT Bell Labs 312-979-6210

My guess is that the chemicals which are used by the landscape firms are
great for greening up lawns and preventing the growth of weeds, BUT not
so great for insect larvae, worms, and birds. If the chemicals do not make
the birds ill outright then it is more likely that the chemicals kill off
the food source for the birds. No food -- no birds!

Just an educated guess....

Geoff Shapiro
Graphic Software Systems
(503) 641-2200

PS. Now a programmer, but once was a wildlife biologist to be!