Here's a summary, FWIW:

A very large colony of terns nested last year on the old Georgia Pacific pulp mill site just a couple of blocks from downtown Bellingham. In razing/clearing the buildings with plans for future development, the Port of Bellingham inadvertently created an ideal nesting situation for CATEs. The site was a reasonable facsimile of a deserted beach with the added bonus of two (2) chain-link fences around the site; hence, no land predators to worry about.

A small colony of 250 individuals produced about 50 chicks in 2009 and the 2010 version numbered more than 3,000 individuals with as many as 1,000 chicks fledging. Mortality was very low considering the size of the colony. The Port was quite gracious in allowing me to enter the site and monitor the colony for almost four months; and equally gracious in allowing the banding of 252 chicks by a team from Oregon State University and Bird Research Northwest. Late in the season, the Port allowed me to take two tour groups onto the site. By then, I was doing carcass counts.

I received a call from the Port this past winter to attend a meeting, saying they needed my help with the terns. Didn't know what I could do but I went into the meeting with dreams of another CATE summer with twice as many birds! In no time, my bubble burst as I was informed that the Port wanted nothing to do with even the slightest repeat of last year. In fact, at the second meeting, three Wildlife Control agents from the Department of Agriculture were on hand to demonstrate the tools and techniques they would use to discourage the terns from nesting. The Port hired them to do the work.

I read about the tools/techniques later and also read that the methods were part of a passive effort to keep the terns off the site. Passive measures are allowed but active measures to harass or harm the birds violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. After the first terns arrived on April 8, I observed quite a few settling down outside the perimeter of silt fences that had been deployed, seemingly unfazed by the eagle kites and coyote silhouettes spread around the site. It appeared that this would suit them for nesting, but this is when I started getting calls from a student at WWU reporting Port security vehicles driving through the flocks to keep them off balance and mainly to keep them from laying eggs. All of these tactics combined apparently worked since I've heard no reports of any egg laying on the site this summer. I searched for signs of possible nesting on rooftops along the waterfront with a field tech from Oregon State, to no avail.

I reported the Port's actions to agents from WDFW and the USFWS and despite repeated attempts, no one from either agency ever made an effort to reconnect with me and/or deal with the Port. And so it stands.

Frustrating? You bet!

*More info available on request.

Joe Meche
Bellingham














-----Original Message-----
From: Guttman,Burt <GuttmanB at evergreen.edu>
To: Mechejmch <mechejmch at aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 9:07 am
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Re: A Tern for the worst



Joe, I'm probably coming in late on this and don't know what's going on because I should have read some earlier report, but you're telling us that official security people are driving on the beach into flocks of terns, for no good reason, and that nobody is willing to interfere ot take any responsibility because of some kind of stupid conflict between agencies or governmental bodies . . . is that what I read? What in hell is going on up there? There must be some kind of Higher Authority that can step into such a mess and stop it . . . isn't there? Please tell us/me more.

Cheers and thanks,
Burt


Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503


From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu on behalf of Mechejmch
Sent: Mon 9/5/2011 3:47 PM
To: thefedderns at gmail.com; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Re: A Tern for the worst



Hans, et al,

I contacted WDFW and USFW on several occasions to report that the Port's security vehicles were witnessed/videotaped driving into flock of terns that were on the ground outside the silt fences, where they probably considered laying a few eggs.
I cited the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, etc., but neither agency apparently wanted anything to do with this obviously "too hot" political football.
I reminded them that individuals have been fined for driving through the shorebird flocks on the coast, but I was told the issue here had more to do with private property and their "hands were tied." It's a tattered web that has been woven here between the City of B'ham and the Port.

As the summer nesting/breeding season draws to an end, there has been NO/ZERO activity on the site where the terns would have nested. To say that I'm p***ed would be a major understatement.

Joe Meche
Bellingham






-----Original Message-----
From: Hans-Joachim Feddern <thefedderns at gmail.com>
To: Mechejmch <mechejmch at aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Sep 3, 2011 10:17 pm
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Re: A Tern for the worst


Too bad you could not get US Fish & Wildlife on their case.... I feel privileged to have seen the colony last year!

Hans


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