Mike: We have an excellent report here at the Seattle Audubon office on
this issue:

Collision Course: The Hazards of Lighted Structures and Windows to
Migrating Birds
A Special report for the World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Fatal Light
Awareness Program
September 1996

Copies can be obtained for $10 each:
World Wildlife Fund Canada
90 Elinton Avenue East, Suite 504
Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Z7
Telephone: (416) 489-8800
Fax: (416) 489-3611

Alternatively, You could come by our office and photocopy relevent
information from the report.
-Lauren Braden, Advocate for Wildlife Habitat, Seattle Audubon Society
(206) 523-8243 x14

-----Original Message-----
From: Scuderi, Michael R NWS
[mailto:Michael.R.Scuderi at NWS02.usace.army.mil]
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 1999 11:04 AM
To: 'tweeters at u.washington.edu'
Cc: Morris, F Lori NWS; Brunner, Kenneth R NWS
Subject: Bird Use at the Aurora Bridge


Hi Tweets,

I received three replies for our inquiry concerning peregrine use at the
Aurora Bridge in relation to the proposal to light the bridge. As a
point of
clarification, the proposal before the Corps is for permanent lighting.
The
information provided in the replies will be used in the permit decision.
As promised, I am providing copies of the messages for your information
(below). I am trying to do some searches of the tweeters archives to
find
information about previous discussions on the lighting project and
impacts
of lights on migratory birds. If anyone can key me into a date around
which
those discussions occurred, that would help.

Mike Scuderi
Seattle District Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 3755
Seattle, WA 98124-3755
michael.r.scuderi at usace.army.mil
(206)764-7205
FAX (206)764-4470


MESSAGE 1

Mike/Lori, I got a call from a man at the Corp of Engineers last year
about
peregrine use of the Aurora Bridge, though this was in reference to
seismic
retrofitting rather than lights. I do the record-keeping for peregrine
reports in Seattle, which is why he contacted me.
There are no peregrines nesting under the Aurora Bridge. In the past
eight
years of observing and keeping records, we've only had sporadic reports
of
peregrines using the bridge. All these sightings were of birds using
the
light standards on top for hunting perches, and all were in fall and
winter.
(I *have* seen Red-tailed Hawks under the bridge - suspect they may nest
in
the nearby greenbelt).
There is a peregrine pair that nested unsuccesfully under the West
Seattle
bridge this past year. The ledge is inaccessible except to avian
predators,
and we *suspect* that a Great Horned Owl got the eyasses. I don't think
that
a light shining directly on and illuminating the ledge would be a good
idea,
though I don't know of any studies about this.
Our resident pair in downtown Seattle nest on a ledge that has lights on
it,
but the lights don't shine directly on the nest box, and the light
closest
to the box is turned off during the breeding season.
So far, there haven't been any peregrines nesting on the Ship Canal or
Ballard bridges, but I suspect it's just a matter of time, as the birds
use
them the rest of the year.

Ruth Taylor

MESSAGE 2

Hi Mike,
There are no PEFA nest boxes on the Aurora Bridge. At present, there
are
two nesting pairs in Seattle, the one at Washington Mutual and another
on
the West Seattle Freeway Bridge. The latter failed last year.
We also put a box up on the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge last summer but it
is
not occupied as yet. We expect use there soon however. Again, we have
NOT
put any boxes up on the Aurora Bridge.
As for raptor use, in the 70's there was a pair of GHOWs that hunted
pigeons there regularly and may still. Merlins are often seen perching
and
hunting from the top light posts during the day. As for use by other
species, including PEFAs, you want to have your associate contact Ruth
Taylor. She may have contacted you already. If not, give me a call and I
will give you her phone number. She has the most extensive data on this.
Best regards,
Bud


Bud Anderson
Falcon Research Group

MESSAGE 3

Mike Scuderi,

I'm responding to your message on tweeters requesting opinions on the
intended lighting of the Aurora Bridge.

I am a member of the Falcon Research Group, the volunteer organization
involved with monitoring Peregrine Falcons around Seattle. However, I do
not
occupy an official position (as in Dept. of Fish and Wildlife for
instance),
so my opinion does not carry any weight other than by virtue of what
I've
learnt from extensive observation of the birds here.

First of all, there is no peregrine nest on the Aurora Bridge. I was one
of
the people working with State and City agencies getting nest boxes
placed in
a variety op locations, but not on this particular bridge. Over the
years we
have seen birds around the Aurora Bridge, although I'm not sure the
birds
have actually landed in the bridge superstructure. Some birds use the
towers
carrying cables across the Ship Canal farther west, and there is a known
winter territory that includes both these towers and the I-5 Ship Canal
bridge to the east, so peregrines do fly around the Aurora Bridge
regularly.

Second, the peregrines at the WAMU building downtown do just fine in
their
highly urban setting with the many lighted structures in downtown all
around
them. From our observations we believe they may even use the city lights
to
do some nighttime hunting, although this is based on circumstantial
evidence
and should not be construed as a positive effect of the lights. In order
to
video tape the birds' behavior the lights on WAMU were kept on at night
during the nesting season and this did not appear to influence the
birds'
behavior (they sleep perched sitting on light boxes with the lights on)
or
productivity.

As you know we as a society have a tendency to focus on a few "popular"
species when we make decisions that affect a broad range of species. It
is
good that the proposed lighting project's impact on nighttime activity
of
birds is being reviewed, but I would like to see all birds that show
nighttime activity included. The most important thing is that the lights
are
aimed at the bridge very carefully, so as to minimize the amount of
light
that shines into the night sky past the structure. Migrating birds are
easily confused by strong lights during overcast or foggy nights. Since
Aurora Bridge is not the highest lit structure in this particular area
(the
broadcast towers on Queen Anne to the south are much higher for
instance), I
do not believe that PROPERLY AIMED lights at this bridge will add much
to
the impact city lights have overall.

My understanding is that the lights aimed at the bridge are only
temporary
(Martin Luther King Day to Earth Day 2000). Last I heard the current
street
lights (aimed at the bridge deck) will also be replaced with more energy
efficient lights as part of the "festivities". I believe that this last
aspect, in the long run, has a valuable positive impact on our
environment.
I only wish the "celebration" included installing energy efficient
lights
everywhere, instead of lighting up structures of rather unappealing
architectural value.

I hope this is of help. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have
any
questions about this.

Sincerely,
Martin Muller, Seattle