Hitting the send button too early‏ Alan Fritzberg 2/13/14

In my posting yesterday, I had intended to mention the recent reports on the decline in marine life in Bellingham Bay (http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/01/15/3422616/decline-in-bellingham-bay-marine.html) in thinking about the typically small numbers of birdlife seen along the boardwalk compared to the Semiahmoo-Blaine Harbor area.  Could be that the diving ducks and loons aren’t finding the food sources or in the amounts they need.  “The survey tests found "unusually low" numbers of clams, snails, sea stars, crabs, shrimp and other sea life, according to an Ecology press release.”

Alan
I would like to add that there has been an enormous decline in shore birds in the Blaine area in the last five years or so. Ten years ago there would be huge numbers of shore birds of at least ten species from August into October. In the last 3 to 5 years there have been little or no shore birds there during the same period save for Killdeer. Either the shore bird populations have crashed or have changed their migration routes due to a shift in the food supply.

Barry Ulman

The small numbers of birdlife at Boulevard compared to earlier years are evident when I look back at the journal I kept from 2004-5.

January 19 BP 10AM-12PM.

Ducks

pr. long-tailed, pr. Western grebes, pr mallards, many golden eyes, common, but mostly Barrows, many surf scoters,, 1 red-breasted merganser, I lesser scaup, 1 pied-bill grebe

 2 crested cormorants, 1 pelagic, 1 loon

Songbirds

Bewick's wren, varied thrush, fox sparrow, song sparrow, and blue jay

 

Feb 1, 2005 Boulevard Park and Trail

Many Common and Barrows goldeneyes, many surf scoters, 1 pr. red-breasted Mergansers, several Western  grebes, 1 pied-bill grebe, pr. harlequin ducks, 1 loon, 1 Ruddy Turnstone?, Black Oystercatcher, female Belted Kingfisher, 6 Cedar Waxwings, Robins, song sparrows, Chestnut-backed chickadees

1 river otter*. I harbor seal

Nowadays, I walk Boulevard Monday and Friday mornings and seldom see more than a couple of pairs of Goldeneyes, a loon  and some cormorants

To what extent could this also be attributable to the redevelopment of the park for public access? The impacts on habitat value as a result of park popularity are reflected in the city's shoreline inventory analysis. Yet the city continues to develop its shoreline parks as if there is no conflict at all between public access and habitat value.  This problem is going to increase as the city opens up the waterfront. 

 

The city and port refused to conduct an environmental analysis of impacts on plants and animals before it enacted the waterfront plan.  It did promise to do an after-the-fact review, but is now attempting to limit this to only nearshore species (i.e., fish).

 

The city and port need to hear from the bird community. They need to hear about your observations regarding declines in bird population.  They need to hear about your concerns regarding protection of Bellingham Bay birds.  They need to know that there is public support for preserving habitat for wildlife, whether nearshore, aquatic or terrestrial, and that we need to provide habitat connectivity.

 

Tell the city council and the mayor.

 

Wendy Harris