Hi folks,

I was coming back from Portland this morning, following a week of =
mind-numbing meetings. At noon, when just north of Kalama I watched a =
juvie Red-tail come up from the median strip and whack right into the =
window/radio antenna of a sedan.

I pulled over, and the poor thing had a terrible compound fracture of =
its left humerus. She had a perplexed look in her yellow-brown eyes, as =
though she was trying to figure why she couldn't fly and why this =
strange person was picking her up... A freshly-killed vole lay =
alongside her on the asphalt, and the median strip was riddled with vole =
burrows -- no doubt luring raptors to a feast, if only they can avoid =
the 70-mph-plus trafffic.

A pickup pulled in behind me, and a 'local' from Longview stopped to =
tell me that he'd just seen the bird hit, as well. He offered to take =
the bird to a veterinarian; he called later today to let me know that =
the bird had to be put down, as the damage was too great and the bird =
was too much in shock... =20

A question or two arises from this... Another aspect of my life deals =
with birds killed incidentally while people are pursuing another lawful =
enterprise; the Feds are interested in stopping this other activity to =
'save' birds. Have there been any recent studies of bird mortality =
along our state and federal highway system (I've not seen anything since =
about the late 70s)? How can our legal activity of driving along these =
roads be reconciled with the strict proscription against killing any =
protected species vis-a-vis the Migratory Bird Treaty Act? Who decides =
that one source of mortality is bad (say, birds killed in oil spills, =
gillnets, logging) and that another is OK (say, birds killed while =
driving to see the Hawk-owl, birds hitting our windows)?

Hope this isn't too morbid, I was Just ruminating in the wake of an =
afternoon saddened by my involvement in the loss of a beautiful =
creature.....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net