© Barry Kent MacKay/Born Free USAAbout a mile and a half away from my home in Markham, Ontario, there is a man-made, shallow body of water called Reesor Pond. A tiny stream tumbles into its northwest corner, over a beaver dam hidden from view unless you know where to look. The water drains over a concrete barrier at the south end, flowing (as all water does in my region) toward Lake Ontario, easternmost of the Great Lakes. Suburbia is gobbling up rich farmland all around.[teaserbreak]
It’s not an especially attractive place: an asphalt path at its east end near the road that passes it, cracked and broken by the inexorable growth of non-native Phragmites reeds and scrubby willows breaking through. But, given that so many local wetlands were drained and filled in, Reesor Pond has become an important “staging ground” for migrating shorebirds. These birds, some nesting in the far Arctic, may make long non-stop flights, and are in desperate need of places to rest and feed, or “stage,” before continuing their long journey to tropical climates. And, most shorebird species are in decline.
Many species of waterfowl, including the trumpeter swan (officially an “endangered” species), utilize the pond, safe from hunters’ guns in the fall. Birders arrive from the Toronto region to check it out.
A few weeks ago, an e-mail was posted on a birder’s list I’m on that said, in part: “I made a quick visit to Reesor Pond today, and at the sandbar where shorebirds usually congregate to rest and feed during migration periods, there was a fisherman with a bicycle, chairs, and more. In addition, there were dead fish floating in the pond, garbage strewn around, and carefully planted vegetation and shrubs trampled down to make numerous paths to the pond for fishing.”
I went over to the pond and saw several groups of people fishing, one managing to catch a clump of slimy green algae as I watched.
It was the weekend, but a small group of us began phoning City Hall. Within two days, the issue was resolved.
The city already has a “default” bylaw (what is called an “ordinance” in the U.S.) against fishing in public wetlands unless specifically allowed. A sign was posted and a bylaw officer was assigned to ask the fishers to leave, which they did. Local birders moved in and cleaned up the garbage. And, the birds returned!
A small victory, yes—and one that a small number of concerned citizens can share. It all counts, and I am happy to see the birds return.
Keep wildlife in the wild,
Barry