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Shorebirds in decline At Montlake fill

4/30/2015

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                                                                    Wood Ducks by Wendy Morgan Crane Creek Graphics
Seattle Audubon Society recently reported:
"Shorebirds are in trouble. According to the 2014 “State of the Birds Report,” authored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and National Audubon Society among many others, "Shorebirds are declining more than many other species groups. Long-term migration counts for 19 shorebird species show an alarming 50% decline since 1974." Local declines are also apparent. This is significant because, as pointed out by the 2014 State of the Birds Report, "Long-distance migrants require healthy stopover habitats along their entire pathway, and the chain of sites is only as strong as the weakest link."


Please consider signing this petition from Change.org

As citizens of Seattle, and as environmental leaders concerned about the preservation of biodiversity, we call on the Washington State Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) and the US Army Corps of Engineers, to alter the SR520 Wetland Mitigation Plan to create habitat that will return shorebirds to the Union Bay Natural Area (also know as "Montlake Fill").

Since at least the 1970s, the Union Bay Natural Area on the University of Washington campus has arguably been one of the most important stopover areas for migratory shorebirds in Seattle. Today shorebirds are rarely seen here due to the conversion of this area from open habitat to a wooded wetland. Recreational birders at Union Bay Natural Area have observed a decline from more than 1,400 shorebirds in the 1990s, to just 42 individuals last year. While loss of open habitat is a widespread threat to migratory birds, it is a threat we can address right here in Seattle. The phrase “think globally, act locally” comes to mind.

WSDOT's plan claims to include enhanced shorebird habitat, but instead it calls for increased planting of woody vegetation around all shorebird sites and maintenance and growth of trees where they exist. Although the mitigation design is meant to create habitat that would be used by diverse wildlife, no planning has occurred to consider any specific wildlife species or group.

The State legislature has allocated some $2 million to WSDOT for wetland habitat restoration at the Union Bay Natural Area. Unfortunately, WSDOT's mitigation plan will accelerate the catastrophic decline of shorebirds there.

Seattle Audubon advocates for tree planting and wetland restoration across Seattle, but also understands that not all species use the same habitat types and trees are not appropriate in all wetland habitats. We believe that biodiversity declines are a global problem that we can affect right here. Let us not lose a unique opportunity to bring back shorebirds to Seattle, and give ordinary citizens a glimpse into the lives of some of the planet's most extraordinary migrants.

Please join me in signing this petition to save critical shorebird nesting and stopover habitat!
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                                                                Common Mergansers and ducklings by Wendy Morgan

The Birds found at Montlake Fill

BirdWeb reports: Union Bay Natural Area is noted for its microhabitats, which attract a huge diversity of resident and migratory birds. Some 200 species have been seen here over the years, including such delights as American Bittern, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Green Heron, American Pipit, and Rufous and Anna's Hummingbird. The ponds attract migrating shorebirds such as Wilson's Phalarope, Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, and Solitary Sandpiper, along with the more common Leasts, Westerns, and dowitchers. Rarities can turn up at any time and include Black-headed Gull, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black Tern, Barn Owl, Sage Thrasher, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Lapland Longspur. Waterfowl such as Cackling Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, and wigeons (both species) are common. The best feature about this area is that the birds quickly become accustomed to people and allow birders to approach closely.

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Installing a swarm of honeybees

4/30/2015

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If you are a beekeeper, this is the time of year to replace lost colonies in your apiary.

In 2013,  I shared this "Easiest Package Installation Ever" with Rusty over at Honey Bee Suite. That was the last package of bees we ever purchased. Since then, we have been repopulating our hives with local bees who have swarmed. We gather the bees ourselves or get them delivered from our friend Marvin, who also does Poison-free bumble bee, wasp, and hornet removal.

There are several reasons why we have chosen to only install local swarms of honeybees in our apiary rather than buying packages of bees; part of this decision has to do with what a "package" of bees actually is, but mostly, it is because a local swarm is made up of a strong and vigorous queen and her followers, who have all made it through a northwest winter.

Where do bees go when they swarm? Here is a sample of swarms we have captured in our backyard:

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Clockwise from top left:
small laurel swarm, double laurel swarm, stairwell swarm, and Argentina/motorcycle swarm
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Children in the Garden=street art

4/20/2015

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I am envious of Poland's street art!
This mural was created by Natalia Rak for the Folk on the Street 2013 event.
It was painted on the side of the Chemistry building at the U of Bialystok.
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What a fun project this would be: Nature Nurture=biophilia.
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Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water

4/10/2015

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Is the drought in California a surprise to you? It would not be if you had read Cadillac Desert, by Marc Reisner. Way back in 1986, Reisner published this eloquent and well-researched expose on the history of water and the west.

From the back cover:
"The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster."

This book should be required reading for EVERYONE, and if you know someone living in California, you should consider sending them a copy too.
Be sure to watch the 1996 Cadillac Desert four-part TV series, which includes interviews with Reisner, farmers from Owen's Lake, and Mulholland's granddaughter, as well as historical and vintage photos of the desert and mountains at the turn of the century.
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                                                         Cathedral City near Palm Springs  ©Damon Winter
Last week, the New York Times ran a series of articles on the drought and the dire situation that the Golden State is in.  I found it odd that the issue of where L.A.'s water comes from was never addressed. Mayor Garrett of Los Angeles, remarked "Do we have enough water to sustain life? Absolutely. Do we have enough water to grow economically? Absolutely." Perhaps Mayor Garrett should find more knowledgeable advisers–for the truth is that L.A. has been piping water in, from hundreds of miles away, for over a century. This "drought" is not a matter of climate change or seasonal weather, but nature refusing to cooperate with the sham any longer.

Unsustainable & Unconscionable
: California is definitely living on borrowed time (and water); in addition to draining rivers and lakes from all over the west, they have been pumping groundwater at a tremendous rate, which is NEVER a good idea. Interestingly, California is the only state which does not regulate the use of groundwater, though they are starting to think about it. (Uh-huh.) This seems long overdue when people in East Porterville, CA have dry wells and are subsisting on bottled water.
Considering that one-quarter of our nation's food is grown in California, the repercussions of a century's worth of rampant unsustainable use of water will be felt far beyond its borders.
It is time to start growing your own veggies and attending local Farmer's Markets!

In our last visit to Orange County, I was heartened to see that homeowners were beginning to replant their front yards with native plants instead of turfgrass. The native yards were dizzy with birds, bees, and lizards. No surprise-we did not see any living things in the grassy lawn next door.
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A Sting in the Tail & #savethebees

4/4/2015

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GOOD READS & good deeds
I just finished reading A Sting in the Tale-My Adventures with Bumblebees by Dave Goulson, and I highly recommend this book. Goulson writes a memoir that is filled with the wonders and discoveries of a curious child in rural England who morphs into one of the world's leading experts on bumblebees. In an engaging Bill Brysonesque style, Goulson describes both the effects of monoculture and habitat fragmentation on native bees, as well as the consequences of introduced/invasive species into an ecosystem.

Dave Goulson is also the founder of Bumblebee Conservation Trust which is a treasure-trove of information, guides, images, and advice (though the focus is on UK bumblebees). Goulson's recent reanalysis of a study on the effects of neonicitinoids, used by the UK's Food and Environment Research Agency, showed that neonicitinoid pesticides in fact ARE threatening bees worldwide. The agency had previously drawn a conclusion that was completely contrary to the results of the study :^(

Street artists from London are working to bring awareness to the plight of the bumblebee and honeybee, and have painted murals in London, Croatia, New York, Miami, and New Orleans.
Hey Seattle–we should do this too! #savethebees
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    Author

    Tracey Byrne~

    I taught K-12 students from north of the Arctic Circle to the Puget Sound Ecoregion, garnering  40 years of experience as a classroom teacher, learning mentor, and private tutor. 

    I spent most of the 1980s and 90s in Alaska flying airplanes, floating wild rivers, winter camping, teaching, parenting, and living off the grid. 

    Here in Seattle, I am an advocate for environmental stewardship, place-based education, and outdoor play. I share my enthusiasm for birds, bugs, and backyards and have been a featured writer and photographer for Pacific Horticulture. 
    ​

    All photographs © T. Byrne unless otherwise noted.

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