I've visited sewage treatment plants in the U.S. and Mexico. The birds are
drawn to them! I doubt that human fecal contamination threatens birds as
much as accumulated bird droppings on platform feeders, which can incubate
Salmonella, etc. However, human sewage is laced with household chemicals
and other bad stuff routinely flushed down the drain, and that is bad for
all living things. The major sources of harmful pollutants are stormwater
runoff from our highways and industrial chemicals that concentrate in food
stocks (fish) and make their way up the food chain.
Gene Bullock
Poulsbo
----- Original Message -----
From: <notcalm at comcast.net>
To: "Tina Blade" <tinablade at comcast.net>; "'Tweeters'"
<tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Fate of nesting pied-billed grebes in the Arboretum


> Hello,
>
> Was there any study of nesting birds during and following the sewage
> spill?
> Some of the marshes and ponds at Montlake (UBNA) were posted as
> contaminated for a period of time. Are very young birds vulnerable to this
> type of pollution?
>
> Dan Reiff
> Mercer Island
>
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Tina Blade" <tinablade at comcast.net>
>> Hi Tweets,
>> I'm wondering whether any of you can explain what's happened to the many
>> Pied-Billed Grebes who were nesting in the Arboretum this spring.
>>
>> About a month or so ago, I saw many of them nesting there, and eagerly
>> awaited the arrival of their babies. I've gone back several times since,
>> and
>> have not seen any Pied-Billed mamas with babies either in tow or on their
>> backs.
>>
>> I'm wondering if they couldn't handle the stress of the human traffic in
>> the
>> area.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Tina Blade
>> Kirkland, WA
>> mailto:tinablade at comcast.net
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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>
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