A number of wildlife preserves, in an effort to satisfy the voyeuristic cravings of bird watchers, have installed "cams" over the nests of certain species.
The problem is that, well, birds will be birds.
This week, there was an article in the paper about a pair of osprey that were in the eye of the camera. Everything was just hunky dory until the mother became mommy dearest, alternately ignoring and abusing her offspring.
That's when the watchers turned into vigilantes. They emailed demands that the chicks be rescued. They threatened to take matters into their own hands.
Imagine Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler prowling the wilds of Africa. Marlin is speaking in hushed tones to Jim, explaining how the lion has hunted and is now snacking away on a zebra it has captured, encouraging Jim to go in for a closer look. Suddenly, an angry viewer appears in front of the camera, raving about how cruel Marlin and Jim are for allowing the zebra to be killed.
It's like that. Some bird cam addicts seem to think the cameras are filming for Disney. That birds should behave like they do in the highly edited version. Trouble is, these cams capture everything. And nature ain't always pretty.
Ultimately, the osprey cam was turned off. And the watchers found another camera in another state on which to view their bird porn. And the osprey were left to do whatever it is they do without surrogate helicopter bird-parents swooping in and making their demands.
And we've proven once again that bird brains aren't only found in species that fly.
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