Re: [Tweeters] Montlake Fill - Fireworks display during nesting season!Just one data point I'll throw out. Several years ago (2000) we appeared to have American Kestrels nesting in a snag at Marymoor. They were seen for several weeks in May and June entering and leaving a hole in the tree. They were seen as late as June 28th. Unbeknownst to me, the 4th of July fireworks were set up to be launched, that year, from within about 50 feet of the base of that tree. We never saw kestrels there from July 5th onwards.

That is the last time we've had any evidence of kestrels nesting at Marymoor.

Of course, Marymoor Park is not part of the core breeding grounds for American Kestrel, so the species is not at risk from losing that area.

But still....

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.scn.org/fomp/birding.htm
== birdmarymoor at verizon.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Connie Sidles
To: Marc Hoffman ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 2:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Montlake Fill - Fireworks display during nesting season!


Dear tweeters, Marc Hoffman raises a key point about the fireworks display at Union Bay. I am not a scientist, but I suspect that other scientists besides the ornithologist he spoke to would say that one night of fireworks wouldn't make enough of a difference to matter to the the birds. I have often heard scientists say that saving one bird's life doesn't matter either - unless, of course, that bird happens to be a whooping crane, or a Hawaiian crow, or an ivory-billed woodpecker. And that is precisely why it is important, in my opinion, to try to stop the fireworks display on Union Bay. Either the Fill is a nature reserve where we strive to protect urban wildlife habitat, or it is a recreational area devoted to serving the needs of people.