Doc Ellen is angry, frustrated and afraid for a lot of our songbirds.

I stopped by one of the Jordan Lake boat ramps this morning to meet a friend and share his birthday.

Instead of celebrating, he and I examined a mockingbird nest.

Yes, that is fishing line woven into the nest.  The parent birds think the fishing line is a natural vine.

Through the years I have found nests of several species made entirely of fishing line.

Neither adult bird nor chick nor fledgling can break the fishing line if they get entangled.

600 years is what it takes for fishing line to degrade.

A moment is all it takes for a fisherman to gather his discarded line and properly dispose of it.

A moment versus 600 years shouldn’t be a hard decision to make.