As our bush plane circled the remote Kalahari airstrip a second time, the Land Rover below cautiously drove around its periphery. They weren't doing a photographic game drive this time. Rather, the unarmed ground crew was taking the essential precaution performed before each and every landing to prevent collisions with big game.
Elephants, kudu, buffalo, zebras and other wildlife daily wander onto the dirt runways at safari camps of the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Guides never want to kill any game there, as their job is to show the all the wildlife — timid or dangerous — to awestruck photographers. So they daily make their rounds, gently but effectively persuading game to move. All over the world, airports and wildlife don't mix well.
The concern for wildlife jeopardizing public safety concern is no different at our Worcester Regional Airport — except that wildlife occasionally is shot here.
It's difficult for even the most ardent conservationists to argue against killing wildlife to save people's lives. All over the world, birds are most often targeted, as they cause by far the most accidents. The Israeli Air Force has lost more aircraft to bird strikes than it has in its entire history to enemy fire.
Unfortunately for birds, airports are built without consideration for their impact on them. JFK and LaGuardia were built in the middle of the prolific Atlantic flyway. The near-catastrophe that was averted by a heroic captain landing his geese-struck plane on the Hudson River is only one of many bird strikes that have been recorded there, and surely will happen again. As much as the practice is distasteful to everyone, the regular eradication of large numbers of birds there and at other airports is the heavy price we must pay for the sake of public safety.
To the surprise of many, America's worst high-fatality, bird-caused crash occurred at Boston's Logan Airport in 1960 when a massive flock of starlings struck a plane, killing 62 of the 72 on board. With Mass Audubon's input, public safety management strategies were developed to hurt wildlife minimally. Standard bird control across the country today starts with making airports as inhospitable as possible to wildlife, using nonlethal methods first, and shooting to kill only as a last resort.
Analysis of accidents reveals that single small birds are infrequent problems. However, large flocks of small birds can prove dangerous. Before the South Weymouth Naval Air Station shut down for good, it had to cease operations for about a week each September when massive tree swallow flocks numbering more than 10,000 staged around the airport, roosting on the asphalt and feeding on insects over the runways before continuing their migration.
Worcester Airport's problem is with a much smaller number of barn swallows, which try to nest in jet bridges where their droppings could prove a health hazard to passengers walking beneath them.
Some people minimize the concern for small flocking birds, pointing out correctly that new engines are designed to withstand ingestion of birds up to the size of a chicken. But while they may continue running after such an incident, the intake of just a single bird can cause very costly engine damage.
MassPort's Richard Walsh recently apprised me of the agency's strategy to insure the safety of planes and people. They try to follow FAA regulations and advisories to make airports as inhospitable as possible to wildlife. I was further directed to the FAA's Jim Peters, who emphasized that their directives come largely from the U.S. Department of Agriculture experts. No one at the airports is shooting species that are not on the USDA's prescribed list of problem birds. Airports require both state and federal permits that carefully are issued for depredation. Worcester Airport director Andy Davis said that they must have a wildlife management assessment and required appropriate program established by a certified biologist — in the agency's case, from the USDA — to address the dangers. Ultimately, the effectiveness and quality of control comes down to the competence of adequately trained security personnel who hopefully know their birds and shoot only as a last resort.
Worcester Airport employs five safety and security officers that check the runways and periphery at least once on three shifts every day and night. They check everything from snow drifts and damage to the tarmac to the potentially attractive dumpsters that must be kept closed at all times. They look for crows roosting in nearby trees and mourning doves, warming on pavement, or gulls congregating after rains in pooling water. Motion detector cameras are used to capture images 24 hours a day around the fences.
For decades at Logan Airport, snowy owls have been carefully tagged and quickly removed by bird bander Norm Smith. They migrate south to Logan's tundra-like flats to feed on abundant coastal ducks and rats. The large snowy owls have never posed a problem there because they're all live-trapped and transported to Duxbury Beach or Plum Island to push them forward on their migration.
In most cases, when birds and mammals occupy airport flight zones, staff tries to scare them away, following strict guidelines from the FAA and USDA. Some airports used to use falconers to scare away birds. They found, though, that big flocks would sometimes panic seeing the falcon flying overhead, taking off with all concentration on the predator above and totally disregarding the big plane that they were flying into. MassPort's Richard Walsh notes that startling pyrotechnics and horns are now standard tools for that effort. But when the noise and fireworks fail, the party's over.
Security personnel are then obliged to resort to shooting. Each staff member involved in bird depredation receives training from the USDA, including a class on bird recognition and laws. They'll shoot only birds on the USDA problem list.
The staff also undergoes firearms training with shotguns. Worcester Airport shift manager Andy Widor is a certified NRA firearms instructor.
Clearly, none of the officers enjoys killing birds at Worcester Regional Airport. Widor confided, “Our officers enjoy wildlife as much as anyone else, but public safety always comes first.”
Today, tomorrow — Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Shooting Championships, Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center, Springfield.
Today, tomorrow — The 2013 Big Game Bash, Boston Marriott, Quincy. Seminars on saltwater fishing off Massachusetts, including the canyons, $150. Info: big-game-bash.castafari.com/index.htm.
Today-Sunday — Springfield Sportsmen's Show, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield. Info: osegsportsmens.com.
Today-Sunday — New England Boat Show, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., 750 of the newest boats and accessories, seminars and entertainment, $15. Children 15 and under, free. Info: NewEnglandBoatShow.com.
Tomorrow — Singletary Rod & Gun Club Game Dinner. Info: Mike Trottier, (860) 935-5136.
Tomorrow — Gun Owners Action League annual Breakfast Meeting, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Advanced reservations required, $25. Info: (508) 393-5333.
Tomorrow — Plum Island Surfcasters Annual Fundraiser, Elks Lodge, 25 Low St., Newburyport, 8 a.m., $13. Info: plumislandsurfcasters.org.
Sunday — Marlboro Fish & Game 3-D Safari League Archery 50/50 Shoot. (Also March 10, April 7 and June 30). Starts 7 a.m., 1 Muddy Lane, Marlboro, $10. Info: Joe Afonso, email@example.com.
Monday — Fishing Safety & Health, Rhode Island Saltwater Angler Association seminar, West Valley Inn, Warwick, R.I., $10.
Thursday-March 3 — World Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Suffern, N.Y. Info: sportshows.com/suffern/index.html.
March 2 — Nipmuc Ducks Unlimited annual Banquet & Auction, Hoboken Club, 252 Central St., Milford. Doors open at 5 p.m., $65.
March 9 — Nashua River chapter of Ducks Unlimited annual Conservation Fundraiser Dinner, Four Points by Sheraton, 99 Erdman Way, Routes 2 and 12, Leominster. Auctions, drawings, prints, decoys, hunting gear, $55 single; $90 couple. Reservations: (978) 345-2246; Alan Chase, (978) 649-1833; Mike Donnelly, (978) 342-0901.
Contact Mark Blazis at firstname.lastname@example.org.