Mary Poppins says: “That’s No Way to Feed the Birds!”

Legislation supported by the Patrick administration and heard by the Environment Committee would allow the State to begin to fine individuals for feeding wildlife, with the first offense meriting a written warning, followed by a $50 fine for a second offense and $100 for a third.

This legislation is not aimed at all the Mary Poppins in our community, after all Mary Poppins sold small bags of healthy bird seed. According to Daniel Clark, natural resources section director in the state's Department of Conservation's Division of Water Supply Protection, the bill (S 2028) is largely targeted at "dedicated" feeders that he said often arrive at water bodies with garbage bags full of cereal or bread pieces to feed gulls and other birds.

The problem is that after feasting on scraps in parking lots, gulls, Canada Geese and other birds spend the evening roosting in places around community water supplies, often causing significant water pollution problems in the reservoirs.

Nor is the issue limited to protecting bodies of water. On Cape Ann, state and town officials have repeatedly pleaded with residents not to feed wildlife — warning that, among other things, food left for some animals can be a draw to others, such as coyotes or fisher cats. Most notably, Rockport and U.S. Post Office officials especially expressed concern that flocks of wild turkeys that were harassing mail carriers and some residents were being emboldened by someone who was drawing them to the area by leaving food.

The conservation Department has stepped up its efforts to discourage feeders, but officials are not always successful."Right now, we have no resource to make them stop," Clark said. "The signs don't do it."

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, filed it at the request of the Hoosac Lake Restoration and Preservation District. In written testimony to the committee, Downing said association members are concerned by the "ecological damage caused by the proliferation of Canada geese in the area."

I would hope that this issue would call attention to the many well intentioned individuals who visit our beaches daily with bags of bread and other processed foods to feed to our shore birds. While such foods can be tolerated by humans, they clearly are not good for wildlife who can readily find all the nutrition they need on our bountiful shores.

I am an avid birder, card carrying Audubon member who maintains several bird feeders in my back yard. Believe me: Wonder Bread does not “build strong bodies 8 ways” in birds.

The next time you want to feed the birds, follow the advice of Mary Poppins and offer them bird seed. It’s just “tuppence a bag” if you buy from Mary.