Phil
Donohue Answers Nature’s Call Television’s iconic talk show host Phil Donohue admits while
growing up he never really ever asked questions about nature. He really
wasn’t that inquisitive when it came to nature. After all, he went to
Catholic school and whenever there was a question, the nuns would credit
God with their answers. Well, Donohue has gotten “religion,” a new
kind of religion. He seeks answers to questions about nature
and he wants to convert you. He especially wants you to care about
the population of the purple martin birds. He is so fascinated with them
and concerned about their future that he has a web site which he wants you
to see and yes, follow The
web site, www.gazebophil.com, offers a live
broadcast of a purple martin colony on Donohue’s former
Beachside Avenue property in Westport. As you may know, Donohue and
his wife actress and feminist advocate Marlo Thomas recently sold their
home on the Long Island shoreline where they have lived for more than 25
years. However, the purple martin colony is still there for now, until it
is relocated possibly to Sherwood Island State Park. On
June 6, Donohue joined Milan Bull, director of science and conservation
for the Connecticut Audubon Society in a talk about purple marlins at the
annual meeting of the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park.
While Donohue talked, his audience could see a live broadcast of
the purple martin colony on the Westport shoreline with the birds
fluttering in and out of the gourds where they nest. Donohue invited
everyone to tune into this live nature show by accessing his web site.
In doing so, you will also see inside one of the gourds where a
purple martin is nesting. The
view is amazing and addictive. You are not only enthralled by watching
nature live, but also by the hypnotic sound of Long Island Sound. On June
7, the headline on the web site shouted out: “Eggs
Any Moment.” Viewers
watched patiently for days and finally, the purple martin did lay some
eggs. The headline screamed, “Eggs!” Now, the wait continues with the
bird sitting on the eggs and we watch waiting for the eggs to hatch. Donohue,
who is co-chairman of Connecticut’s Eagle Festival, admits it has taken
him a long time to be curious about nature. Living on Long Island Sound
with expansive views of Long Island Sound for over a quarter of a century
stirred his curiosity as he “watched the drama out there.” He
described how the purple martins feeding their chicks is “a feminist
fantasy,” since both parents were responsible for feeding their young.
“Those kids open their beaks and say, ‘Feed me; feed me.’” They
feed on insects, which are caught in mid-flight. In the East, hey do not
nest in natural habitats but rely on people to provide gourds for their
colonies. The
talk show host explained the cycle that he has observed.
The purple martins appear in spring; give birth in June and then
fly away in August to Brazil. He
marvels at the birds’ ability to fly all the way to Brazil and
explained, from his observation, how they’ll fly and then soar. He
recalled one year travelling to Venice, Italy with his wife and turning on
his computer to the web site. “I saw my own backyard.” Donohue
laments that the study of nature is something that had passed him by as he
was growing up and he is determined, “It won’t happen to my
grandchildren who have already been here to the Nature Center,” a
popular spot for visitors to Sherwood Island State Park, which is part of
the state’s park system currently marking its centennial. He believes
one’s curiosity in nature leads to
accomplishments in science, even to
winning a Nobel prize. Milan
Bull, offered a little perspective on the purple martin, noting that a
number of factors, including habitat loss and climate change are
contributing to its decline in population. He said more research is needed
to ascertain the factors affecting the decline. He said this would include
what is happening to its population in Brazil On a
personal note, it is sad to learn that Phil Donohue and Marlo Thomas have
sold their properties and homes on the shore here. For so many years they
have contributed their time,
knowledge and presence to so many charitable endeavors in Fairfield County
and Connecticut. As a
journalist who has reported on so many events here, it was always a
pleasure to see the couple at an event because I would know that not only
that their presence and star power can attract lots of money for
nonprofits, but also they are so giving of their time to talk to the
press. I
will always remember the time I went to the movies in the afternoon at one
of Westport’s Fine Arts movie theatres many years ago to see
“Godfather II.” Not only did Marlo Thomas and Phil Donohue stroll into
the lobby, but also Marlo’s father Danny Thomas and his wife. The crowd
was in disbelief. Danny Thomas in Westport? |
© Copyright 2013 Rita Papazian All rights reserved.