birds breed bad publicity

While driving to the “Flying Wild” training a few days back I found myself behind a large SUV.  In itself this is not so unusual.  Neither was seeing a bird on a sticker on the tailgate, although it was weird it was a Piping Plover.  As I pulled up to the red light behind the SUV I realized just what message the sticker was trying to convey….

Have the protection measures stirred up some bad emotions?

The sticker stated that Piping plover tastes like chicken. This is not the first sticker I have seen in opposition to piping plover nesting habitat protection. I have seen one other anti-piping plover sticker. That sticker was on the back of an Apple Electric Company vehicle– a piping plover inside a red circle and slash across the picture.  We all know that to be in universal NO sign. After google-ing Piping plover sticker–I found it is a widspread problem, from  Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras from the Hamptons to the Outer banks and all along the eastern seaboard. Upset people sporting stickers and wearing t-shirts to protest the amount of beach set aside in summer for the nesting needs of piping plovers.  One of the googled articles I found was a man who debunked the idea that piping plovers really do taste like chicken he had lived with shorebird trappers in south America and told why they would not be eaten on their migration south.

When I saw the first sticker on the Apple Electric truck I called  the number just above the sticker to ask why they didn’t want any piping plovers.  The woman was very apologetic and said it was only a joke.  She stated that her husband, the owner of Apple Electric, thought it was funny.  I explained I was new a to the area and a birder and why would anyone not like the piping plovers.  She was mortified to have to answer my call.  I expect her husband got a good tongue lashing that night.

I know it is a drag for me to go to Cape Henlopen State Park and not be able to get to the point to view birds because it has all been roped off for piping plovers.  But I understand the birds and their issues.  I can imagine how I would feel if I was ignorant of the birds and their needs and I wanted to fish and all my tackle was too heavy to carry.

I learned a lot doing this post & I hope never to taste piping plover.  I’ll stick to duck.  I’d also like to thank everyone who does obey those little string fences for helping the piping plovers.