The modern human response to the wonder of spring is contradictory. On the one hand, plant nurseries are full of activity and wildflowers become backdrops for social media posts. On the other hand, however, store aisles brim with stinking pesticides and indiscriminate yard maintenance strikes down many of the cute baby wildlife we purport to celebrate. Modern life is busy, but this moral duty not to harm wildlife in our own yards really cannot be outsourced. It is not reasonable to expect that (potentially poorly paid) crews rushing from one job to the next are trained naturalists fully versed in the legal protections for migratory bird nests. Monthly contracts may mean cutting for cutting’s sake alone, or applying pesticide when the targeted pests aren’t even active. If a guy with a chainsaw on a stick says you have tree damage or disease that needs fixing, he isn’t necessarily an altruistic arborist.
Check for wildlife yourself, before you–or your contractors–mow or edge lawn, leaf blow, trim bushes or trees, and especially if you are really compelled to fell a tree. Delay yard work if you find wildlife babies—they really grow up fast anyhow. Even a dead tree is a valuable habitat that should be carefully considered. https://cavityconservation.com/before-removing-a-dead-tree-check-for-birds-nesting-in-cavities/ Birds nest for many months of the year, not just in the early spring, so one has to keep looking out for nests even into the early fall. Amphibians and reptiles are biological pest control, so we need them to successfully reproduce too. Cottontail rabbits have shallow above-ground nests and their babies are vulnerable to lawnmowers. https://wildlifecenter.org/news-events/news/2022/eastern-cottontails-know-you-mow What beneficial insects do your plants host, and are you destroying their habitat during a particular stage in their life cycle? Can you adjust your mowing machinery and techniques (such as leaving escape paths/refuges, adjusting blade height setting, etc.) to be less destructive? https://www.conservationevidence.com/actions/698.
The sliced remnants of a bird in this month’s photo were found after a city-contracted crew responded to complaints about “vegetation” in the area. Powerful yard tools can inflict quick damage on tiny creatures. Wildlife on property under your control are counting on you to protect them from harm. If you do inadvertently harm wildlife despite your best efforts, please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/counties/index.phtml?id=227&county=travis.
North Loop Neighborhood Association 