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Index of Subjects I've just finished reading Silence of the Songbirds, by Bridget Stutchbury (Walker Pub. Co, N.Y. '07), which includes mention of the Swainson's Hawk disaster in Argentina. It was the pesticide monocrotophos, which farmers were using as an aerial spray from airplanes to kill locusts in their sunflower fields, which caused the hawks to drop from the skies by the thousands. This was documented by ornithologists in 1994 and '95, I believe. The book you refer to, Andy, is Saul Weidensaul, Living on the Wind: Across the hemisphere with migratory birds (North Point Press, N. Y., 1999). This pesticide has since been banned by the Argentine government, but, according to Stutchbury, is still in wide use in other S. American countries. She suggests it's effects are probably equally disastrous on other birds such as Dickcissels. Bear in mind that the sunflower fields had just been sprayed the day before the dead hawks were found, and the birds had eaten the dying locusts. This really doesn't say anything about the long-term effects of the pesticide on the sunflower seed which we feed our wild birds. (Don't get me wrong - I don't like pesticides!) Lois Codling Andy Dean wrote: > I received a phone call this evening but unfortunately failed to get > the name of the caller. > He has no access to send messages to NatureNS so asked me to pass a > message to the group, and Elinor Lindsay in particular, regarding > sunflower seeds. > He quoted a book by Scott Weidensaul titled 'Living On The Wind' > ...specifically chapter 8....which apparently relates an experience , > I believe it was in Argentina . where Swainsons Hawks died in large > numbers when they ate grasshoppers contaminated with either pesticide > or herbicide .[ sorry to be so vague but it was a brief call ] > He suggested that sunflower seed has evolved from simply being > produced to help birds survive the winters into a major business crop, > and this has resulted in lower safety standards, at least in some of > the countries producing huge commercial crops, and he strongly urged > that we read the item. > I checked the Valley Regional Library catalogue but drew a blank on > that title. > Andy > > Andy & Lelia Dean > 86 Baden Powell Drive > Kentville, NS. Canada. B4N 5P5 > Tel: [902] 678-6243 > > aadean@ns.sympatico.ca <mailto:aadean@ns.sympatico.ca> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.9/1294 - Release Date: 22/02/2008 6:39 PM >
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