Kelly: From what I hear, the threat to the lovely prairies you so
accurately describe and value is probably much more immediate than you
imagine. Future transition of parts of Fort Lewis to private hands is
certainly an important consideration, but it appears that the Army plans
to obliterate some of the restored and protected prairies with their
tanks, contrary to older plans. The many dedicated and very effective
workers for protection are in a poor position to defend against such
destruction, and so little has been said, but some of the very finest of
the sites (including my favorite, on Area 21) are slated for
"exercises". These will be in addition to the roadside destruction
already wrought by some members of the Greater Seattle Bird Dog
Association, who regularly hold trials on Area 21.

Clearly, someone needs to come to the defense of these sites (after
verifying the reality of the threats, or promises). I would expect one
such entity might be one of the state agencies obligated by law to
protect wildlife, but just a bunch of interested citizens might make a
difference here.

I, too, see good numbers of Vesper Sparrows on the Fort Lewis Prairies
during the nesting season, and meadowlarks are regular there, too. I
haven't seen Horned Larks there during the spring, but of course the
artificially supported Western Bluebird population is always a welcome
sight. Western Meadowlarks are encountered on Mima Mounds NAP, but
perhaps less often than in the 70's, before the Scots Broom invasion (now
there's a loaded word!). As you know, meadowlarks sing all year 'round,
making detection rather convenient. They are also found in a few dairy
pastures, including one adjacent to the Glacial Heritage Site. I don't
know how often they are encountered on *that* site; ever since it fell
into public hands, just plain people like myself have been excluded!
SGH

Steven G. Herman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia WA 98505
(360) 866-6000, ext.6063
943-5751 (home)
hermans at elwha.evergreen.edu

On Mon, 5 May 1997, Kelly McAllister wrote:

> Tweeters,
>
> I spent Friday on Fort Lewis. I wasn't birding but couldn't help but
> get excited over the Vesper sparrows on Thirteenth Division Prairie. Also,
> Western Meadowlarks and Western Bluebirds. I did not see Horned Larks
> though they are supposed to be there.
>
> For an eastern Washington birder, such a list of species is a major ho-hum
> but not for me here on the wetside. But, of course, these birds are much more
> special than those on the eastside. Some (a lot?) differentiation has
> occurred as a result of these westside breeders being separated for thousands
> of years from their eastside relatives. Both the Horned Lark and the Vesper
> Sparrow west of the Cascades have been described as separate subspecies and
> they are not terribly common subspecies as far as I know.
>
> Fort Lewis is such a gem. I can't help but look out over its well-drained,
> treeless, level prairies and imagine what would happen if the Department
> of Defense ever decided it was surplus property, ripe for turning over to
> entrepeneurial spirits.
>
> Every since I heard of a supposed major decline in Western Meadowlarks in
> Oregon, I have paid particular notice of Western Meadowlarks here in western
> Washington: one in pastureland near the Black River, several at Glacial
> Heritage County Park farther down on the Black River, one near Hawk's Prairie
> restaurant in Lacey, and one on Thirteenth Division Prairie of Fort Lewis.
> I am still wondering where the decline has been observed within Oregon.
>
> Kelly McAllister
> Olympia Washington
>
>
>