Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 25/99) - There was no immediate reason to be alarmed when local bird watcher, Patricia Baldwin, came across a dead grebe floating in the middle of Niven Lake June 14, while on her morning walk.

As far as she was concerned, the sight of the dead bird was not a welcomed one, but not an unusual one.

That all change when she was again out for a walk on Niven Lake the following Wednesday.

"I saw the grebe again caught in the reeds by the first bridge," Baldwin said. "I then walked across to the opposite side of the lake where the second bridge is. It was then that I saw a second dead bird floating in the middle of the lake. After seeing that, we decided to report it to the Canadian Wildlife Services."

Later that day, Baldwin went back to Niven Lake with a Canadian Wildlife officer, who brought a dog along to retrieve the dead birds from the lake.

"The officer took a look at the first bird, and we saw that there was a blood clot on its neck," Baldwin said. "We pulled it back and saw a metal pellet in there."

The birds were then taken to the Canadian Wildlife Services warehouse where it was determined that one of birds was a horned grebe and the other a red-necked grebe. Both species use Niven Lake as a nesting area and both had been shot by pellet guns.

For Mike Fournier, a wildlife officer, the sight of the pellet holes in the grebes triggered a vivid memory of the day he took a group of Saint Patrick High School students two weeks previously.

"I had already taken one class out earlier that day and I was waiting for the next group," Fournier said. "i saw a group of youths on the opposite shore and it appeared that at least two of them were shooting guns."

"When the next class came, they were still shooting and it looked like they were trying to hit anything that they could."

Fournier and his group later passed the youths and he told the youths that what they were doing was illegal but to no avail.

"I called the RCMP and a Canadian Wildlife Services enforcement officer," Fournier said. "No guns were found but the youths were given a warning."

According to Fournier, grebes nest in fairly exposed areas along the weedy shorelines of lakes.

"They don't have a chance when they are nesting," Fournier said. "They hardly fly at all during this period.

"It was an incredible stupid thing to do," Fournier said.

"They are not particularly rare but they are an interesting species and, birdwatchers are always thrilled to see them. I encourage anyone who sees people shooting at them to call the RCMP or the Canadian Wildlife Services."

Patricia Baldwin echoed Fourniers' words.

"It ruins your day when you go to Niven Lake and see dead birds instead of live ones," Baldwin said.