UNDERSTANDING BIRD BANDING

UNDERSTANDING BIRD BANDING

Banding is an important tool to the science of understanding wild birds and other creatures of Mother Nature. It is used by all wild life rehabilitators, such as the Geological Survey of the United States and Canada's Wildlife Service to address population, hunting impact and effects of the humans on bird habitats, gain information of longevity, migration and breeding. Through the small percent of 'returns' we have learned significant data and lessons from raptors, shorebirds, oiled birds of spills, those birds with cases of interest, such as botulism, finch eye syndrome and other diseases .

Rehabilitated birds have proved they can survive back in the wild for many years. Hatched birds show they can migrate and join into a wide flock ti south America and back. Bands have proven brown pelicans, gulls and herons from the Deepwater horizon spill are surviving today, some sixteen years later.

Source: Tri-State Rescue News Letter, Fall 2014, Newark Delaware

MEN OF LEWES, MATHEW WILSON

MATTHEW WILSON

PROFESSOR, PREACHER, PATRIOT, PHYSICIAN

FROM

LEWESTOWN ON DELAWARE

It is 1778, three years into the American Revolution, Sussex county Delaware was in the midst of control by Tories, those loyal to the British Crown, and Wilson, the pastor of the Lewes Presbyterian Church on Kings Way, also a local prominent physician, a Whig Party Member who was a leader of the Tea Tax boycott, has rallied the residents of Lewes and the coastal region, with the help of Henry fisher, and William Perry, to the Patriot's cause. In July 1778 Wilson made it known to Colonial leaders of Philadelphia of two drastic courses of action. The first plan was to divide the State of Delaware between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and, if that did not happen, to ban all Tories from holding public offices in the state for a long period of time.

Wilson also presented a clandestine effort to identify Tory office holders in Delaware by using already arrested Tories to ferret them out. He advocated to pardon some Tory or two on condition they become a true witness against the rest. On of those who was suggested was James Cooper from Sussex. It is not know if Wilson advice was followed, but the Tories in Sussex began to wane.

Source: Michael Morgan Collection, Delaware Diary, Delaware Coast News.