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THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 M NORTHUMBERLAND TODAY.COM fl "CA av4ane Livep IH MHMegEga@Sor fok #ory YEDHS ..... to paraphrase Mr. Bumble # Shades of the appalling gardenâ€" in Oliver Twist. It came back { B 4 vendetta of last year against to me recently as I parked at <@ m g> ), ¢ Councillor Miriam Mutton. If m Cobourg‘s west harbour where I # M GR AH AM E it‘s illegal to feed birds at the cQ occasionally pause to watch the ce harbour, doesn‘t it follow that wA I S various bird life seeking refuge . wwns backyard bird feeders are also D from this particularly severe p illegal? I‘ve heard it put forward ;-\\fl \‘6 winter. L arrived just as a formaâ€" The Passing Scene that the Town doesn‘t like to C t _ ; pQ ; tion of three swans descended attract the birds, especially for wl on their final, graceful, almost is gone. They can‘t fly to the the mess they leave behind. b \ balletic approach to the frozen _ fields because they are buried Hmmm. Has anyone seen the water, a slight tilt of a wing here, _ over, They‘re relying on us." mess left behind by summer shifting attitude there, negotiatâ€" _ For his generosity and concern _ weekend visitors to our town? ing the mass of huddled ducks, _ he was issued a $105 fine by a What we must remember is geese and gulls, floating onto bylaw officer. Thompson added, _ that the birds were here first. the ice, feet sliding to a full stop. _ "I will continue to do so as long _ Cobourg harbour is a natural The western extreme of the harâ€" _ as L have to. If they come today gathering place offering protecâ€" bour has become a natural wildâ€" _ and give me a ticket, I‘ll take the _ tion â€" and food â€" much like life refuge and birders‘ delight ticket and say, ‘I‘ll meet you in Quebec‘s natural wildlife area â€" a place where, recently, man‘s _ court because I‘m not paying at cap Tourmente or Brighton‘s humanity to wild creatures was _ it â€" atall‘‘, adding "I‘m going to. _ Presqu‘ile Provincial Park on fullâ€"display. help them survive, The options _ where visitors flock, especially > This has been a terrible are, you let them die or give at migration time. Perhaps winter for wildlife, especially them food. It‘s a noâ€"brainer" I Cobourg Council should conâ€" birds, the combination of was going to say what is he has sider declaring the west end of _ heavy snow, then the ice storm, _ done is a very humanistic gesâ€" _ > the harboura wildlife preserve, _‘ compounded by more deep ture. Perhaps avianistic is the banning the walking of dogs snow, reducing their ability to right word. â€" that disturb the bird life. find food and sustenance. One This week, Pete Fisher : In the meantime, thank person in Cobourg â€" a good reported, Thompson was goodness for people like Bill | Samaritan? â€" decided to provide _ issued a second ticket. But wait; _ Thompson. Cobourgâ€"A an assist for the birds of the Cobourgians, in their ongoing Feel Good Town? How about . western harbour during this spirit of generosity, have not Cobourg â€" Is For the Birds? recent deep freeze, providing only donated money to help Hopefully, when Thompson has them with lifeâ€"sustaining comn. pay the tickets, but one gave his day in court, he will be well > | You might recall Pete Fisher‘s â€"_ Thompson a blankcheque. supported and able to face his | front page story of last week in As well, 30 people showed anonymous accusers. 4 | this newspaper revealing that _ . up with bags of corn to help T hear a reasonable voice in a very concerned citizen, Bill him feed the birds, one from my head. "Case dismissed." t Thompson, had been feeding Peterborough bringing three _ . the ducks, geese and swans with _ 25â€"kilogram bags of feed. It does Grahame Woods, a retired corn since Jan. 21 when he tried _ one‘s heart good. mentalâ€"health counsellor and to help a goose in distress. What makes the whole thing _ Geminiâ€"winning television ; He was quoted as saying, so tacky is that the ticket was playwright, lives in Cobourg. "This is not for the fun of it. It‘s _ issued as a result of two comâ€" He can be reached at ggwoods@ for survival. Their natural food _ plaints, seemingly anonymous, _ sympatfico.ca.