Subject: [Tweeters] Fill Update
Date: Mar 10 19:11:31 2015
From: Doug Schurman - doug at bodyresults.com


Here's the link to sign the petition



http://chn.ge/1zNIeod



Doug Schurman

Seattle



From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of
tina at songbirdphoto.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 6:50 PM
To: 'Connie Sidles'; 'TWEETERS tweeters'
Cc: 'Dennis Paulson'
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Fill Update



Is there a link to the petition?

If so , it will be so much easier to share and gather names!

Thanks,

Tina Blade

Duvall, WA



From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Connie
Sidles
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 11:22 AM
To: TWEETERS tweeters
Cc: Dennis Paulson
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Fill Update



Hey tweets, Dennis is of course correct to point out the rare opportunity we
have (because of mitigation money to be supplied by WSDOT) to bring open
freshwater mud and Pacific Northwest-style prairie back to Montlake Fille.
During our presentation to WOS on March 2, we talked mostly about shorebird
habitat and pointed to the shocking decline in shorebird migration here, due
to woody growth around the ponds (more than 1400 birds in the mid-1990s, 42
in 2014). We pointed out that WSDOT has the authority to restore open
mudflats to the Fill by removing woody vegetation from around Main Pond and
Shoveler's Pond, but they won't do it because they like riparian landscapes
and their mitigation point system favors riparian habitat.



Perhaps we should have also emphasize that WSDOT has planned to destroy a
*significant* amount of the prairies at the Fill. WSDOT's latest plan calls
for planting "buffers" (i.e., shrubs) in nearly all of the prairie to the
west of Main Pond. This is prime breeding habitat for Savannah Sparrows. It
is also the best place to see Western Meadowlarks at the Fill. Other
prairie-loving birds come here to. It is here that I have seen Vesper
Sparrows in the past, Lapland Longspur, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western
Kingbird, Northern Shrike, American Pipit, and American Kestrel. This is
also the place where the McCown's Longspur turned up once, though I missed
it.



The prairie to the east of Main Pond will be planted with "buffers," too,
significantly reducing the amount of open grasslands. This is another
favored place for nesting Savannah Sparrows. It is also the place where I
have seen Chestnut-collared Longspur, Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird,
Say's Phoebe, American Kestrel, Northern Shrike, Short-eared Owl, Sage
Thrasher, Horned Lark, and up to 60 American Pipits.



We have 1,680 signers of Seattle Audubon's petition to ask WSDOT, the US
Army Corps of Engineers, and the UW to change the mitigation plans so that
they restore shorebird and prairie habitat to Montlake Fill. I am proud of
our birding community that so many have stepped up to sign this petition.
But I ask you now to do a little more to save this unique birding spot: if
you haven't signed, please do; if you have signed, please ask at least 10
more people to sign. If everyone who signed could get 10 more supporters to
sign, we could boost our numbers to nearly 17,000. - Connie, Seattle



constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com <http://www.constancypress.com/>







On Mar 8, 2015, at 2:41 PM, Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>
wrote:



Jane, thanks for the Fill-in.



I assume some of you remember when the Union Bay Natural Area was still
Montlake Fill and was the best place around Seattle for shorebirds. The open
habitat consistently attracted migrants from eastern Washington, so
Sagebrush Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Lewis's Woodpeckers were among
the visitors that might turn up on a spring day, as well a variety of
open-country migrants such as pipits and longspurs. Those days are no more,
with the woody vegetation spreading and growing.



It seems such a shame that a mitigation effort couldn't very simply include
opening up the south end of the Fill again to make the situation we all
loved. Instead, more woody vegetation will be provided, turning what used to
be an exciting birding spot more and more into a woodland. Woodlands are
great, and trees are great, but can't we preserve just a bit of open country
in our urban milieu? Meadow and prairie habitat with scattered freshwater
ponds is of tremendous value to wildlife and to nature-lovers, and we
already don't have enough of it. What a shame to be losing still more, as
both the UBNA and Magnuson Park become more and more wooded.



Dennis Paulson

Seattle



On Mar 8, 2015, at 12:00 PM, tweeters-request at mailman1.u.washington.edu
wrote:



Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2015 14:40:32 -0800
From: Jane Hadley < <mailto:hadleyj1725 at gmail.com> hadleyj1725 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Fill Update
To: "Tweeters, Dear" < <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>
tweeters at u.washington.edu>

Jeff Gibson asked for someone to provide "a brief synopsis" of the WOS
monthly meeting Monday night (March 2). The program was a presentation
by Seattle Audubon folks about how WSDOT (Washington State Department of
Transportation) and other government agencies plan to "mitigate"
wetlands damage from the construction of a new SR-520 bridge across Lake
Washington. The current plans call for mitigations in about 15
locations around the state, including the Montlake Fill. The
presentation Monday night concerned the plans for Montlake Fill, also
known as the Union Bay Natural Area.

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