I was appalled to read that the pigeons here in Trail were to be trapped and shipped out of town.
I first wondered at the wisdom of trying to relocate creatures that have a strong homing instinct and my 10-year-old daughter also questioned, “What in the world would the new owners of the pigeons do when they came right back here to Trail?”
The next rumor we heard was that the company hired to ‘take care of our pigeon problem’ was not actually going to relocate the pigeons, but was instead killing them.
For years my daughter and I have enjoyed occasionally feeding the pigeons bird seed purchased at a local store. They come quite close to us and we get a good look at these birds who are multicolored and make interesting sounds and cooing noises.
Is there not some other response or tactic that we as citizens and nature-lovers can try to keep the birds here in town and not simply eradicate creatures that seem to be an annoyance to downtowners?
Our next question happened to be, “Why don’t the store owners simply put up 1/4” wire blockages under their awnings so that the birds do not find them so welcome and available for roosting places?
Many business owners downtown have already thought of that solution and have made the modification to their awnings and are not ‘plagued’ by roosting pigeons or other birds.
The deterrent of spikes on the bridge has solved the problem of excreta on the sidewalks of the bridge, but the pigeons have already found new places to roost and hatch out their chicks.
After such an expenditure of tax-payer dollars, wouldn’t it be more logical to instead just install aforementioned wire mesh under the business awnings so that clients frequenting our downtown businesses do not find themselves sporting bird excrement on their shoulders.
The city council seems to think that Trail citizens would be quite happy and in agreement with the eradication of the birds, as they accepted a bid to do so without benefit of asking the citizens of Trail what they thought about such radical action. Who, I wonder, would enforce the new bylaw? Would this one day extend to include geese and ducks in the future as hey come into our parks and ballparks to graze on grass and then leave their excreta behind?
I think a better use of a bylaw enforcement plan would be to address the dog feces that decorate every stairway, sidewalk and path in our parks, neighborhoods and downtown center! Again without public scrutiny, why would city council feel that its citizens would agree to their actions without any backlash?
I feel a petition is in order and at least a public hearing over this matter. Which species will be next? Crows, ravens, geese, ducks, songbirds? I have also noticed deer and rabbit scat in our parks, are they next? As ever, instead of looking for a more creative solution, the first solution is seek and destroy? Shame on you city council!
Dana SeamanTrail