I Want 2 B Your Plover - Dogs vs. Birds in S.F.
Poor little gal. She is part of the very small flock of Western Snowy Plovers (rhymes with lovers) that gets harassed by unleashed dogs at Crissy Field in San Francisco.
You've read about tomorrow's big City Hall showdown over the issue of unleashed dogs on Golden Gate National Recreation Area land. Part of this issue has to do with the 2 Western Snowy Plover Protection Areas in San Francisco, so we thought we'd head over to Crissy and check things out. We saw a few dogs (all unleashed) in the protected zone, but we didn't see any harassment ourselves on this quiet, rainy day.
A few more shots and comments after the jump.
These threatened birds hang out on the beaches of S.F. and eat whatever they can find.
The Chrissy Field Protection Area is well-marked
This is the type of sign that keeps getting vandalized by those who disagree with the Feds.
Despite the signs, unleashed dogs sometimes harass the plovers. Here an unleashed German shepherd looks over as 2 snowy plovers sit motionless. (This particular dog was well behaved and was probably never aware of the plovers).
The "guardians" of the German shepherd exit the beach near the old Coast Guard station. It would be very difficult for a dog to catch a healthy plover, but Park Service employees are concerned about the birds being worn out by being chased around.
A male from San Luis Obispo back on the job. Most dog owners are responsible citizens of course. Getting this land back from the Feds looks 2 b a lot of work. Hopefully, tomorrow's meeting won't b 2 contentious. [Prince mode: OFF]
