By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Massena Point could become an area of study for a St. Lawrence Central teacher’s inquiry into health and migration habits of birds of prey.

Mark Mansky of Dickinson Center asked the Massena Town Council recently if he could set up a station where he would catch migrating predatory birds from September through November of each year, tag them, and release them.

Mansky is certified with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, which in turn would sanction the activity, he said.

Mansky said to catch the birds, he will erect thin nets that trap them without harming them. He would check them every half hour, put a tracking band around each bird’s foot, and release them. He said he would turn any that are sick and injured over to a wildlife rehabilitator.

“It’s a very visible spot as they come down the river,” Mansky said, adding that the area is a funnel for migrating avian creatures.

Town Supervisor Joseph Gray told Mansky to come back after Jan. 1 and they will hash out a formal agreement which will most likely be renewed on a year-to-year basis.