RUFFLED FEATHERS

RUFFLED FEATHERS

Fifty thousand people. Three thousand cars per weekend. Four boat operations.

Isn't it against federal law to harass migratory birds at their nesting sites? Just being there is harassment.

It's obvious what happened at Lake Martin ' over-aggressive birders ("Empty Nest," April 19). Nothing ' no barbed wire fences, or "no trespassing" signs ' will deter birders in their quest to add a bird's name to their "life list" or to take pictures with bazookas.

And birders are so egotistical. They're standing around now scratching their heads, asking, "Well, what happened? It can't be our fault. The multitudes were quiet."

Maybe the birds don't like being part of a sideshow. Leave them be to do their thing or possibly lose them forever.

I thought the Nature Conservancy was not an exploiter but a protector of unique ecosystems. Go figure.