Dear Tweeters,
I'd like to thank Scott Downes for his great answer to my post about declining
Nighthawks and Purple Finch. But I have to take exception, Scott, on a couple
points. "Generally," you say, "these species seem like species that should do
very poorly in the city and Seattle has been a large city for some time." In
Seattle, Common Nighthawks lived in the neighborhoods-like Phinney and Capitol
Hill, and there was always at least one pair in the Central Business
District. They flew over the tops of the skyscrapers and you could hear them
from places like 4th and Pike. Saying they seem like species that shouldn't
do well in the city is ignoring my interest in why they once did very well in
this city and then failed, circa 1979 -1985 .

Secondly I defer to your greater birding ability, but I disagree that they are
in "decent" numbers now anywhere in the central Puget Sound Basin. (Please, I
hope to be convinced I'm wrong there and would be ecstatic if I were). They
have also declined horribly in coastal BC.

Historically, bird populations ebb and flow and shift with time. Western
Bluebirds were once abundant here, and Purple Martens used to nest on the Bon
Building and other buildings downtown (The Yesler Building until 1979) and now
they don't. Let's never confuse being mature and philosophical about changes
that we sometimes can't control with being in denial these changes have
occurred.

You ask what could have changed in Seattle and mention insect loads and
development that don't seem to be obvious candidates but there are two others
that you didn't mention that could be: wintering grounds and predators.
Remember, urbanized crows did not breed in Seattle in any numbers until the
40s and the urban crow flock was probably building in numbers and density and
maybe in skill at the time of the Nighthawk demise and at the time of the
final end for downtown Purple Martins so that would be an obvious major lead.

As far as Purple Finches, this bird may not be fighting for it's life but it
seems like it's in a general retreat from the urbanized/ suburbanized areas,
and this could be a really bad sign for the urbanized future. Both Christmas
count and Breeding Bird Census show big long term Purple Finch declines.

Thanks, Scott, I really do appreciate the very expert feedback, but I'm still
running the Weekly ad. I believe there is a need here for some public
mourning on this issue and when it comes to not having Nighthawks routinely
appear in my life anymore, this boy is one mournful sucker.
-Ed Newbold, Seattle (newboldwildlife at netscape.net)


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