Bird Cams Around the World

Hi dear friends! What a wonderful day. Went to the meeting the board of the Garden and after Tommy's outstanding presentation, they voted 26-2 to form a task committee to research the nest removal and asked the City Manager's office to put off taking down the nest until their research was complete. Anne Odell, assistant city manager was at the meeting. I gave out a package of information including our math problem of last night - all the info on pyrotechnics and on and on. I will post my one page information sheet later. Anyway, we left and guess who was flying over the visitors' Center??? Dad!!!! He came by to say thank you! So we ran to the nest area and there he was in the 2004 tree waiting to say thank you again!!! More in a minute! I am so tired and very hungry and so happy!!!!! And EAGLE ON!!!!

Tommy Smigiel
Sorry my peep friends, I had another meeting and a high school football game tonight. I am just settling down to take in everything that happened this afternoon. First, I have to start off with letting you know what an awesome experience it was to see Dad and his girlfriends live tonight. This was my first time seeing Dad and I can't tell you how much it meant to finally meet him.

So you may be asking why the NBG vote was significant? If you recall, City Council never voted on the permit. We were only briefed. The decision was made by the City Manager. The City Manager told me that there was no opposition from the airport or NBG. I did not believe that. I first scheduled a meeting with the NBG Board president a few weeks ago. This is when I found out the NBG never took a position. They kept on saying that the city told them they had to do it and since the property was owned by the city they had to comply. I was also told that the NBG was really against this. I went back to the City Manager and told him what was said and he said that he still had not heard that either groups were against it. That's why we had to go and ask the board and ask them to take a position.

The meeting started off with a statement from the president of the board. It was very neutral - basically they disagree, but have to support the city. There was then a lot of discussion. There was a motion made to have the board on record saying that they disagree with the decision, but understood that they had no choice. It was frustrating to hear the conversation because one could tell they did not know the facts. So much incorrect information. Carol and I were just begging to jump in. Finally someone made a motion to table the vote on the statement, which allowed us to speak. I started off with laying out how the decision was made and the lack of transparency. I then discussed the facts including other bird strikes. We then passed out a wonderful packet of facts that Carol spent all day putting together. Without Carol's packet we would not have had as much success. Yous should have seen them flipping through it. I then asked for them to take a vote to let their position be known. I recommended that they vote and ask for a delay of the nest removal until they have been presented with all facts and the impact of the removal.

Next, Marlies Landry of the Gardens Civic League gave more facts and how her neighborhood was opposed. Thank you Marlies for the community support. It was significant to have opposition from a neighborhood.

A new discussion unfolded after the speech and a board member started raising concerns about how the NBG Board was not involved in this. There were lots more questions and discussion. Ellis then made a statement supporting some of the facts on Mom Eagle and explaining the Merlin Radar System. Ellis was great reinforcement. More discussion. Finally, a board member made a motion to form a NBG Task Force to study all options and facts and report back to the full board and in the meantime asking the City Manager to delay the nest removal until then. All of this took about an hour and thirty minutes -so this is a much edited version.

Now we wait for the NBG Board to transmit a letter to the City Manager. Although Anne Odell was there and she will report back to the City Manager, an official letter will help reinforce the opposition. I would also like to present the letter to the City Council.

Hope this helps with a better understanding of what happened today. Thank you everyone for your continued support, prayers, positive thoughts and inspiration.

I write with a heavy heart this morning. The Eagles nest at Norfolk Botanical Gardens has been removed, and the utter lack of common sense and compassion of government is now bare and exposed, for all to see...

When not caring for family, I spend all my free time as a raptor and wildlife preservation/protection advocate. I work with some of the most wonderful people on this earth, all across our
great country, to help educate the public about raptors, the hazards they face, and how we can make a difference. This morning is one of those times when I stand back and wonder what, if any, difference I am making. A dear friend said to me yesterday “try as we might, we will never leave this earth a little better than how we found it ... but we must never give up the fight!” That statement is what is getting me through today, and will fill me with the needed desire to continue to advocate, educate, preserve, and protect. Even if the human species does not see the value of these sentiments, it is now my job to MAKE them understand.

The mission of Raptor Resource Project, one of the organizations I am so proud to donate my time to, is “to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, expand participation in raptor preservation, and help foster the next generation of preservationists”. I find the last past the most interesting.... In our time, right now, it has never been more important to educate the younger population, to arm them with the knowledge necessary to continue to advocate, to show them that the circle of life includes humans, and upsetting that circle can have tragic implications...

As we continue to take wildlife habitat from our animal brothers and sisters, please do not believe that they are the problem. There has to be a way for us to coexist. While we eradicate and destroy in our pursuit of the almighty dollar, there must be people to that stand up and point at the problems. We as humans claim superiority, and believe that our needs supersede all other beings needs. This is known as arrogance, and it is what happened when we poisoned eagles to near extinction with DDT. In 1972, DDT was finally banned because of “advocates and preservationists”. I will not allow history to repeat, not now, not on my watch and my time on this earth.

Please take today and think about how you can help. Whether it is a donation, advocating actions, or simply telling your children how important wildlife is to us and this planet, it will all make a huge difference...

My emotional/artistic side is also wide awake this morning. Goodbye ‘Dad’, may the Great Spirit guide you (and your new mate, DT) to a safer place, filled with peace, so you may accomplish your life purpose. I will think of you everyday.

~Dave~