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Crossing Paths is a twice-yearly newsletter for Washingtonresidents enrolled in the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program.

Westside: 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98012 / 425-775-1311

Eastside: N. 8702 Division St., Spokane, WA 99218 / 509-892-1001

wdfw.wa.gov

Crossing Paths Newsletter

Writer/Editor: Madonna LuersContributing Wildlife Biologists: Russell Link,Patricia Thompson (Seattle-Mill Creek),Howard Ferguson (Spokane), Michelle Tirhi(Tacoma). Printing and Graphics: WDFWPrint Shop and the Washington StatePrinter Graphics Office.

Baby Birds Out of the Nest:To Help or Not to Help?

Spring 2004

Building wildlifeviewing opportunities

for the future

WITH WILDLIFE IN WASHINGTON TOWNS AND CITIES

(Continued on page 4)

by Dr. Jeff Koenings, WDFW Director

(Continued on page 7)

As a Washington resident you areblessed with many opportunities to enjoywildlife, both at home and away . Ourstate’s varied ecosystems provide one ofthe richest and most diverse habitats inthe nation, home to over 640 vertebratespecies, including 365 bird species. Thiswealth in turn draws some 2.5 millionindividual viewers who spend nearly $1billion here annually on wildlifewatching. With that level of interest andparticipation in wildlife watching, it’simportant to plan for the future in order tocreate opportunities that serve viewerswhile protecting the animals they enjoy. To achieve those dual aims, theWashington Department of Fish andWildlife (WDFW) and the stateDepartment of Community, Trade andEconomic Development (CTED) havecreated a joint strategic plan fordevelopment of wildlife-viewing tourism. Written at the request of theLegislature, the plan was recentlypresented to state lawmakers in its final

Sooner or later, most Backyard WildlifeSanctuary managers come across a babybird on the ground and a tough choice:Should I rescue it or leave it to fend foritself? In most cases, it is best not to interfere. The natural parents do a much better jobat raising their young than we could everdo. A baby bird that is featherless must befed appropriate food every 15 to 20minutes from sunrise to sunset! If the bird is fully or partially feathered,chances are it doesn’t need your help. Asyoung birds develop they soon outgrowthe limited space of a nest. The youngbirds, referred to as “fledglings” or“branchers” at this stage, typically leavethe nest and move about on the groundand on low branches for a few daysbefore they can fly. Their parents are nearbyand continue to care forthe birds, answeringtheir demanding callswith regulardeliveries of food.The scolding callscoming from thenearby tree are

likely the adult birds, voicing theirdisapproval while they wait for you toleave. Unless injured, the fledgling bird shouldbe left where it is. Efforts should be madeto keep cats, dogs, and curious childrenaway from the bird so the mother cancontinue to feed it. Unfortunately, people often interfereand take a healthy bird out of the wild.Not only is this illegal, (except in the caseof exotics like starlings, house sparrows,and domestic pigeons), but it alsodeprives the growing bird of the essentialcare that only its parents can give. If you find an uninjured, featherlessnestling that has fallen or been pushed outof its nest, replace it in the nest. Don’t beoverly concerned if the nestling doesn’tmake it, though. This behavior is actuallyadaptive for some species so that only thestrongest of the brood survive and go onto raise young themselves. If the nest has fallen down, which iscommon after windstorms, replace thenest in a tree with the baby bird(s) in it. Itis not true that birds abandon their chicksif a person touches them. Birds have apoor sense of smell. But when handlingany bird of any age, use gloved hands toprotect yourself. If you can’t find the nest or accessing itis too dangerous, put the baby bird whereits parents can find it but where it will besafe from cats. Use a small plastic berrybasket, margarine tub, or similarcontainer lined with shredded papertowels (no cotton products, which tend totangle up in birds’ feet). With a nail orwire, fasten the makeshift nest to a shadyspot in a tree or tall shrub near where thebird was found. Then place the nestlinginside, tucking the feet underneath thebody.

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Living with Washington's Wildlife: Swallows

(Continued on page 6)

(Editor’s note: This newsletter regularly features excerpts from “Living With Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest,” a book-in-progressby WDFW’s Seattle-area wildlife biologist Russell Link that focuses on species most often encountered by people.)

Swallows are migratorysongbirds that occur andbreed in the Pacific North-west from spring to fall.They are sparrow-sizedbirds with long, pointedwings and streamlinedbodies developed for fast,acrobatic flight. They areseen swooping and flyingover fields, orchards,lakes, and anywhere elsethat flying insects areabundant. Seven members of theswallow family breed inthe Pacific Northwest. Ofthese seven species, barn and cliffswallows regularly build mud nestsattached to buildings, a process thatsometimes brings them into conflict withhumans. The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) isa distinctive bird with bold plumage and along, slender, deeply forked tail. It hasblue-black upper parts, a reddish throatand breast, and a rust or buff coloredbelly. Females are slightly duller andshorter-tailed than males. Although theyare still common in Washington,Breeding Bird Census data indicate thatbarn swallows have decreasedsignificantly in the state since 1980. The cliff swallow (Petrochelidonpyrrhonota) looks somewhat like the barnswallow, but has relatively broad, roundwings and a short, squared-off tail. Theback, wings, and crown of the adult are adeep blue, and its belly is light colored.

Feeding Swallows are insectivores, catching avariety of insects in midair with theirwide-gaped bills and expert flight. Barnswallows eat some berries, seeds, anddead insects from the ground, particularlyduring bad weather. Swallows will fly several miles fromtheir nest site to forage. Long periods ofcontinuous rainfall make it difficult foradult swallows to find food, occasionallycausing young birds to die. Swallowsdrink mid-flight; as they fly over waterthey dip their bill to the surface to drink.

Nesting Barn and cliff swallows construct nestsformed from mud pellets that they collectin their beaks. Barn and cliff swallowstravel up to a half-mile to gather mudfrom the edges of ponds, puddles, andditches. Gathering mud and constructingnests are social activities for cliffswallows; even unmated swallows maybuild a nest that goes unused. To find one of their mud sources, lookfor swallows landing on the ground,which they rarely do other than when nestbuilding. The birds will remain on theground for a minute or so and then fly offto a nest site. The collection site will bemarked with numerous small holes madeby the birds as they poke their beaks intothe mud several times to get a good load.You may also see swallows flying withfeathers or grass — materials used in thefinal stages of nest building. Barn swallow nests are cup-shaped; cliffswallow nests are gourd-shaped. Theinterior of both these birds’ nests containsan inner cup lined with grass, hair, andfeathers. Historic nesting sites of both barn andcliff swallows include cliffs, walls ofcanyons, and vertical banks protectedfrom rain. Today, barn swallows almostalways build nests on eaves, bridges,docks, or other man-made structures thathave a ledge that can support the nest, avertical wall to which it can be attached,and a roof. Cliff swallow nests are builton vertical walls, natural or man-made,frequently with some sort of shelteringoverhang. Freeways, bridges, barns, andother large buildings are regularly used. Barn swallows usually nest in singlepairs; cliff swallows nest in colonies thatmay contain a dozen to over 500 nestingpairs. Barn and cliff swallow nests areprone to external parasite infestations.Colonies may not be reoccupied becauseof heavy infestations, and if parasitepopulations become too great, bothspecies will prematurely desert theirnests, abandoning their young.

Reproduction Nest building is done by both sexes, andin mild years may begin as early as late

March. Time from start of nest building todeparture of young is 44 to 58 days. Brood parasitism is common amongcliff swallows. Females will lay eggs inother females’ nests and will also carryeggs in their beaks from their own neststo the nests of others. Both parents take turns incubating threeto five eggs, which hatch after 12 to 17days. Both sexes care for the young,which begin to fly at 20 to 25 days of age.After learning to fly, the young remain inthe nest, or near it, to be fed by parentsand to roost at night. They leave the nestafter a few days and will remain in thearea for several weeks. Barn and cliff swallows can raise twoclutches per year. Re-nesting will occur ifnests or eggs are destroyed. For example,nests may fall because they were built toorapidly, or may crumble because ofprolonged wet or humid weather.

Migration Swallows are among the “neotropicalmigrants” that spend six or more monthsin southern climates, not to avoid coldtemperatures so much as for the lack ofinsects to eat during winter in the north. Barn and cliff swallows begin theirreturn to northern climes in late winterand early spring. Depending on weatherconditions, they are usually first spottedin Washington in late March or earlyApril. Swallows are usually first to beginthe southern migration in mid-August toearly September. They gather in largegroups (sometimes as many as 2,000birds) on telephone wires and otherperches before departing. Swallows migrate during the day,catching flying insects along the way.They will normally not move into areasunless flying insects are available forfood, which occurs after a few days ofrelatively warm weather – 60 degrees ormore.

Attracting SwallowsTo best manage your property forswallows, protect nearby undisturbed wildareas, including wetland, lake, or grassyareas of any size used by swallows fordrinking, mud collecting, and feeding.

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Winter storm losses can be spring wildlife gains

"Attacking" birds aren't crazy Spring and summer bring out whatlooks like the worst in birds – “attacks”on hapless humans. Dive-bombing crows, swoopingswallows, and hissing geese are not crazy.They’re all just defending territory oryoung at this time of year, and theiraggressive behavior is part of what makesthem successful. To avoid being a target, stay away fromnesting areas as much as possibleuntil the young are flying (three to fourweeks after eggs hatch) and the parentsare no longer so protective. If you mustwalk past a nest, wave your arms slowly

Shelve it for robins, phoebes Robins and phoebes will not nest in enclosed nest boxes, but they readily use platforms orshelves in sheltered areas around buildings. If that means you’ve got birds nesting whereyou don’t necessarily want them, you might try providing a nesting shelf for them in a spacethat works for you, too. A nest shelf is very easy to make. All you need are the following piecesof wood:

Using 1-3/4 to 2-1/4-inch galvanized nails, attach the two nest cradle pieces to themiddle of the backboard as shown in the illustration, tilting them inward toward eachother to form the nest cradle. Then attach the end piece as shown to secure the cradle. A favorite spot for placing such a nest shelf is under the eaves of a building wherebirds are protected by the overhang. You can also use the trunk of a tree under protectivebranches. Either way, mount the shelf at least 10 feet above the ground. Allow at least sixinches of clearance from the shelf to the overhang to accommodate either robins or phoebes.

overhead to keep the birds at a distance.Or just wear a hat or helmet, or carry anumbrella. Don’t attempt to “rescue”chicks found outside nests when adultbirds are calling loudly nearby. Beyond the nesting season, some birdsare aggressive when they becomeaccustomed to being fed and lose naturalfears of humans. Ducks, geese and gullsaround city and suburban waterwayswhere they are fed may come to expectfood from every human. Their beggingmethods may actually include chasing,hissing, and pecking; when food isflung their way to ward them off, their

bad behavior is reinforced. (This“conditioned response” technique wasactually used to train the gulls and crowsthat chased the actors in the Hitchcockthriller “The Birds”.) In these cases, pickup small children and leave the area. Ifnecessary, act aggressively toward thebirds by waving your arms and shouting. Other hunger-motivated behavior bybirds is less threatening. Hummingbirdsare known to buzz people wearing red,perhaps thinking that they were a groupof nectar-rich flowers.

• 1 1 x 6 x 9-inch backboard• 2 1 x 6 x 4-1/2-inch nest cradle halves• 1 1 x 2 x 9-inch end

If your property suffered severe winterstorm damage to trees and shrubs thispast year, your spring clean-up job mayseem overwhelming. But broken limbs, topped trees, anddowned wood don’t have to add up to alot of haul-away work. Your backyardwildlife may benefit for years fromleaving some of it in place or piled up onsite. Debris and dead wood, especiallystanding dead trees or live ones with deadtops, known as “snags”, make for muchneeded homes for wildlife. More than 40 species of birds inWashington use cavities in snags asnesting sites, and many find food in deadwood. Many amphibians, reptiles andmammals also use snags and woodydebris for nesting, roosting, and foraging. This spring you may witness use of

your snags by one of the10 species of “primarycavity nesters” –woodpeckers. Thesehard-headed birdsexcavate holes in thewood to make their nestsand raise this year’syoung. Next spring you’llsee new tenants, sincewoodpeckers are wiredto create new nest holeseach year. At least 30species of “secondarycavity nesters,” likechickadees,nuthatches, bluebirds, swallows, wrens,and owls will take up residence in theholes the woodpeckers provided the

year before. Snags that are potential safety problemsbecause they are close to your home orother buildings should, of course, comedown, or be cut down to a size that won’tcause damage. Otherwise, leave snags inplace, especially groups of various sizedsnags, which seem to attract wildlife most(perhaps because they provide both “bed”and “breakfast”.) Create wood, brush, and debris pilesfrom other storm damage. Three to five-foot high and wide piles create morecover and potential nesting sites for somebirds like towhees that prefer to be closerto the ground. They also serve rabbits,raccoons, and other small mammals, plustoads, frogs, lizards, snakes, and otherreptiles and amphibians.

1 1/2"

9"

5 1/2"

9"

2 1/2"

5 1/2"

4 1/4"

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Baby Birds Out of the Nest: To Help or Not to Help (continued from page 1)

Award-winning BWS gardener invites toursEditor’s note: When we learned that BWS Manager Stephen Lamphear’s self-described “Lazy Garden” was a contest winnerfeatured in a national magazine that solicited his writing a regular gardening column, we asked him to describe his experience.His wildlife-friendly garden is often on scheduled summer garden tours, but with advance notice he’s also happy to host fellowBWS-managers. Contact him at 206 439 7362 or stephen.lamphear@comcast.net. )

My hillside garden in Burien has beenin the WDFW Backyard WildlifeSanctuary program for more than 10years. Before that, my Ballard gardenwas enrolled. It’s been delightful to learnabout the critters that share my retreat.Habitat-friendly gardening has increasedthe critter population many times over:Anna’s and rufous hummingbirds,evening and black-headed grosbeaks,song sparrows, wrens, goldfinches,golden-mantled squirrel, merlins andother raptors, red fox, opossums,salamanders, too many raccoons,beautiful bugs and spiders. My public gardening career started in1997 when I won the ArboretumFoundation Pacific Garden Contest. Thefirst prize of a trip to London for theChelsea Flower Show was the first time Itraveled to Europe. While there I visitedthe Baroness Rothschild’s garden, ofwhich I am still in awe. After the contest win, my garden wasfeatured in an article and cover photo for

the Summer 2000 issue of Garden, Deckand Landscape magazine. Photos of mygarden are also included in BarbaraBlossom’s 2000 book Backyard Retreats.In 1998, the Highline Times/Des MoinesNews asked me to write a regular gardencolumn. Today, the ‘Lazy Gardener’ alsoruns twice monthly in the West SeattleHerald and the Federal Way News. As a member of the Burien City Councilsince 1998, I encourage eco-friendlypublic policies. I’ve served on the

Watershed Resource Inventory Area(WRIA) 9 forum charged with salmonrestoration. In 1996, I co-founded theannual Burien Garden Tour, and foundedthe Highline Botanical Garden (SeaTac)in 1997. My “Lazy Garden” continues to developas a trial and learning resource for lowimpact garden practices. I think theattention it’s received proves that agarden can be sophisticated and attractiveto people, as well as critters.

Bird surveyors can keep countingOur note in last fall’s edition about discontinuing WDFW’s ten-year-old winter birdfeeding surveys prompted many disappointed responses. Although we can’t resurrectour survey at this time, those who want to keep counting are encouraged to participatein Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory’s “Project FeederWatch,” a nationalprogram after which our own survey was patterned. You can learn how to join ProjectFeederWatch at http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/. The website also has links to othercitizen science programs with opportunities to make your year-round observations ofbirds count.

The parents will usually come back in ashort time and will feed the babies in thecontainer just as if it were the originalnest. Often, you will see the mother goingback and forth between each “nest,”feeding both sets of babies. There are times when you shouldconsider quickly getting a baby bird to alicensed wildlife rehabilitator:

• If the parent birds don’t find the babyin your makeshift nest within twohours

• If you are certain that the mother of ababy bird is dead

• If the bird was attacked by cat or dogor otherwise hurt or sick (unable toflutter wings, bleeding, wingsdrooping unevenly, weak orshivering)

Your local Washington Department ofFish and Wildlife (WDFW) office candirect you to the closest wildliferehabilitator. Since many rehabilitatorsare veterinarians, or work closely withveterinarians, you might also be able tolocate them through veterinarian contacts. While waiting for a rehabilitator to pickup the bird, or in the more common caseof delivering the bird to them, gently pickup the bird using gloved hands and placeit in a well-ventilated, covered box orpaper bag that is padded with papertowels. Keep the baby bird warm and in aquiet, dark place until it is picked up ordelivered to a rehabilitator. If the bird is cold, put one end of thebird’s container on a heating pad set onlow. Or fill a zip-top plastic bag or plasticbeverage container with a screw lid with

hot water. Wrap the warm water containerwith cloth, and put it next to the animal.Make sure the container doesn’t leak, orthe animal will get wet and chilled. Do not give the baby bird any liquids.They get all they need from their food andvery often will inhale any liquid. Washyour hands after contact with the bird.Wash anything the bird was in contactwith — towel, jacket, blanket, pet carrier,etc. — to prevent the spread of diseasesand/or parasites to you or your pets. Be realistic about the survival chancesof injured or orphaned young birds. Justlike the adaptive behavior of pushingweak chicks out of a nest so that only thestrongest survive, other circumstancesthat result in the death of young birds arepart of nature’s way of balancing speciespopulations.

by Stephen Lamphear, “The Lazy Gardener”

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Processions ofSpecies celebrateEarth Day You may have a procession of speciescoming through your backyard these dayswith spring migrations in full swing. But you’ve never seen processions ofthe species like the ones coming toSpokane and Olympia in celebration ofEarth Day. Earth Day is officially April 22. But inSpokane it will be celebrated the weekendbefore, April 17, in Riverfront Park,including the fifth annual “Procession ofthe Species.” To the beat of primitivedrumming, all ages of participants paradethrough the park donning costumes,masks, and other homemade creations oftheir favorite animal or plant species. Formore on the Spokane Procession, contactThe Lands Council at 509-838-4912. The original Washington Procession ofthe Species will celebrate its tenthanniversary in Olympia on April 24, thisyear with a theme that BWS managerscan relate to: “Nurturing Nature in yourNeighborhood.” Olympia’s Processionfounder’Eli Sterling is teaching anEvergreen College class on communityempowerment in which students areworking with neighborhood associationsto develop neighborhood wildlifesanctuaries. For more on the OlympiaProcession, see www.procession.org.

Birds of a feather nest together

Celebrate springat Grays HarborWitness one of Washington’sgreatest spring bird migrationsat the 9th annual Grays HarborShorebird Festival, April 30 –May 2. Thousands of birds ofdozens of species come throughBowerman Basin at Grays HarborNational Wildlife Refuge nearHoquiam on the OlympicPeninsula on their way tonorthern breeding grounds.Co-sponsored by Grays HarborAudubon Society, the city ofHoquiam and the refuge, thefestival has activities for all ages.For more information, see http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/ .

This year’s International Migratory BirdDay (IMBD) on May 8 (always thesecond Saturday of May), is focused on“birds of a feather that nest together.” Colonial nesting behavior has been asuccessful strategy for one in eightspecies of birds worldwide. Manycolonial-nesting species are aquatic birds,such as herons, egrets, gulls, terns, andpuffins. But several landbirds such asswallows and blackbirds are also colonial. Colony sites take many forms: mudnests plastered on vertical surfaces;burrows riddling a seaside cliff, a stretchof depressions in a sandy beach, or bulkystick nests forming a woodland rookery;what defines them is the close proximityand social behavior of the colonymembers. Colonial nesting probably evolved inresponse to shortages in suitable, safenesting sites within range of food sources.Birds nesting in colonies may enjoy“safety in numbers,” for example, whencolony members cooperate to chase offpredators. Also, colonial nesters maylearn about spotty and scattered foodsupplies from observing their neighbors. But colonial nesting behavior does havedisadvantages: a single event or incidentcan affect the nesting success of a largenumber of birds. There have always beennatural threats to colonies such as stormsand predators, but human activities havebrought many new threats to colonies.The introduction of exotic species tobreeding areas, disturbance of colonies,and outright loss of breeding habitatthreaten many species of colonial birds. Colonial nesting birds are often highlyvisible and impressive, garnering theattention to migratory bird conservationthat this special celebration is all about.At least two Washington communities arecelebrating IMBD with special events:

• Leavenworth’s Bird Fest, May 7-9,features guided bird-watching toursin spectacular habitats ranging fromsnow-capped mountains to sunnypine forests, wildlife art exhibits anda songbird concert at Canyon WrenRecital Hall. It’s sponsored byAudubon Washington, the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, Okanogan &Wenatchee National Forests, theLeavenworth Chamber of Commerce,

Go birding offthe beaten track Looking for an easy-to-reach butout-of-the-way place to listen to theflutelike song of the meadowlark orthe raspy call of the red-wingedblackbird? Try Republic in FerryCounty and the Kettle ValleySongbird Festival, May 21-23.This second annual event featuresguided birdwatching tours andlectures, with bonus activities likea fossil dig at the Eocene FossilDig Site and Stonerose InterpretiveCenter. For more informationcontact the Highlands BirdingGroup of Ferry County at509-775-0441 orbirder@rcabletv.com or seewww.ferrycounty.com/KettleValleySongBirdFestival/.

North Cascades National ParkService Complex, the North CentralWashington Audubon Society, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service and UpperValley Arts. For more informationsee’www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com.

• Edmonds’ Marsh Day, May 8,features guided bird walks in awetland habitat and other activitiesfor all ages. Co-sponsored by thePilchuck Audubon Society andEdmonds Parks and RecreationDepartment, it runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.For more information, contact SallyLider, 425-771-0227,lider@ci.edmonds.wa.us.

For more information about IMBD andevents in other areas, see http://birds.fws.gov/imbd/.

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Living with Washington's Wildlife: Swallows (continued from page 2)

Also, retain asmany large snags– dead or dyingtrees — aspossible for

swallow perchingand/or nesting.

Avoid using insecticides,not just for swallows, but forthe nearly 70 percent ofPacific Northwest breedingbirds that eat insects. Supplementing the supply ofnest materials and installing

nest boxes are other ways to enhance yourproperty for swallows. Swallow speciesthat use nest boxes are violet-greenswallows, tree swallows, and purplemartins; barn swallows will use nestingplatforms. Have nesting materials and boxesavailable for use by early March. Mud canbe provided to barn swallows and cliffswallows by spraying a shaded area withwater to create a mud puddle. A mud-filled, elevated birdbath may serve as acat-safe mud-gathering site for swallows.Claylike soil with some humus is a goodbuilding material because plant fibersstrengthen the nest. Swallows will alsogather small downy feathers and 3-inchlengths of dry grass placed nearby.

Preventing Conflicts It has been speculated that one reasonswallows choose to nest on door stoops,light fixtures, and porch fronts is becausethe close proximity to humans keepscrows and other predators away. Thebirds will even risk cat predation andhuman vandalism and nest close to theground if the location is in a placefrequented by humans. The barnswallow’s close association with humansin Europe goes back over 2,000 years.Thus, when you thwart a barn or cliffswallow’s nesting effort, you may bedenying the birds their only chance atsuccessful reproduction. Conflicts with swallows occur primarilybecause of the droppings and other debristhey deposit in inconvenient places.(Swallow droppings are NOT a publichealth concern unless hundreds of nestsare involved.) When swallows first hatch, the parentseat their droppings, which keeps the nest

clean and insect free. After a few days,the adults carry the droppings away fromthe nest to prevent detection by predators.After about the twelfth day, the youngback up to the edge of the nest anddefecate out over the rim. Placing newspaper or some similarmaterial where droppings accumulate cansolve the problem. As necessary, thepaper and droppings can be added to acompost pile, dug into the ground(droppings make wonderful fertilizer), orplaced in the garbage. Similarly, a blanketor sheet can be used to cover a car orother structures and moved when needed. Another solution is to install a boardunder the nest(s) to catch the droppingsand debris. Because of its closeproximity to the nest, the board should becleaned as needed to prevent infestationsof insects and mites that may live in theaccumulated debris. If for some reason swallows nesting ona building or other structure cannot betolerated, a barrier can be installed.Barriers include any physical structureplaced between the swallow and thestructure. A permit is not required for thismethod if it is done before the birdsarrive, during nest building when thereare no eggs or young in the nest, or afterthe birds have left for the winter. Ifswallows have eggs or young in the nest,exclusion may not be used without apermit. To prevent barn swallows from nestingon door jambs, window jambs, and othersites on the side of a building, cover thearea with bird-netting or 1-inch meshchicken wire. Drape the material from theouter edge of an eave down to the side ofthe building. Remove wrinkles and foldsthat could trap or entangle swallows orother birds. Bird netting and chicken wire areavailable from nurseries, hardware stores,and farm supply centers. Some pest-control companies sell a heavy-duty nettingmaterial with a larger mesh than commonblack netting used to protect fruit frombirds. The netting is not as likely to createproblems for songbirds, which sometimesget caught in the smaller mesh netting. Attach the barrier using staples, brasscup-hooks, adhesive-backed hook-and-loop Velcro, trash-bag ties, or otherfasteners. The barrier may also be firststapled to or wrapped once or twice

around wood laths, which are thenattached to the structure. This techniquecan also be modified to keep swallowsfrom entering a breezeway or similarsites. Another technique is to hang a curtainof bird netting or chicken wire from theeave. The curtain should be 3 to 4 inchesfrom the wall and extend down from theeave 18 inches or more. A solution for small areas is to installaluminum foil, aluminum flashing, orheavy plastic over the spot whereswallows nests are unwanted. The smoothsurface will prevent swallows fromadhering mud to the wall. Painting thearea with a glossy latex paint may also beeffective. It may be possible to offer barnswallows an optional nesting site byconstructing a nest platform. Hawk, owl, and snake models,noisemakers, revolving lights, red-and-silver flash tape, and hanging pie tins areunlikely to deter swallows. According to federal law, nest removalis permissible only if it is not occupied byadult birds or no eggs have been laid. Atthe first sign of nest building, use a waterhose or pole to knock down nestmaterials. Because swallows arepersistent at rebuilding nests, you willneed to continually remove the nest mudfor several days until the birds stop.Swallows are strongly attracted to oldnests or to the remnants of deterioratednests, so all traces of mud should beremoved. Swallows are federally protected andany permit to lethally control them inextreme conflict cases is issued by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Someexamples are concerns for aircraft safetyfrom a nesting colony at an airport orpotential food contamination from acolony over a loading area at afood-processing center. Inmost cases a permit forlethal control will notbe issued forswallowsnesting on aresidence orother buildingsand causingaesthetic damage.

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Hot peppers mightdiscourage feeder raiding If you’ve got a problem with squirrels or other mammals raiding your bird feeders,hot peppers might be one way to discourage them. Capsaicin, the pungent compound found in Capsicum peppers that causes the burningsensation when you eat hot peppers, is used to treat bird seed to try to deter squirrels.Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology is still looking into this method, but at leastone study showed that when capsaicin-treated sunflower seed was used in feedingtrials, most squirrels spent less time at those feeders and ate less seed. The study alsoshowed that the capsaicin had no effect on the composition of the bird populationvisiting those feeders. BWS manager Rob Saecker of Olympia explains that peppers have evolved todiscourage mammalian predation and encourage avian predation, because their seedsare destroyed by mammalian digestion, but not by avian digestion. So birds eat hotpeppers without harm, and then distribute the seeds far and wide. “As for the effects on squirrels,” Rob says, “I can attest that adding cayenne tomy suet has reduced the frequency of squirrels at my suet feeders. As for their abilityto adjust to the taste of hot pepper, I would assume that would be similar to largermammals, where some learn to prefer the taste of food with pepper, and go to greatlengths to find ever hotter pepper varieties with which to spice their food. Habaneros,anyone?”

Rememberyour batsBats may be one of your most commonbackyard mammals and one of your mostbeneficial neighbors. But they tend to beforgotten, perhaps because they’re activeat night, more likely because of centuries-old myths. WDFW biologists Michelle Tirhi andGerald Hayes are among others trying tochange that with development of aWashington Bat Conservation Plan thatoutlines bat ecology, habitat needs, andconservation goals. Plan development iswith Bats Northwest, a non-profitorganization for bat conservation andresearch, and the Washington BatWorking Group of bat experts fromfederal and state agencies, private timbercompanies and Bats Northwest members.The state plan is directly connected to theNorth American Bat ConservationPartnership (NABCP) Strategic Plan. North America is home to 148 of theworld’s nearly 1,000 species of bats. Ofthese, 45 species live in the U.S. and 15are found in Washington. In 1971, the American Association forthe Advancement of Science concludedthat bats were ecologically essential andsome species were rapidly declining andin need of help. In response to anti-batcampaigns in the late 1970’s, BatConservation International (BCI) wasfounded to correct misperceptions aboutbats through education, research, andcommunication. NABCP was formed in1999 as an international alliance ofagencies and organizations committed tofunding bat research and identifyingcontinent-wide priorities for batconservation in their strategic plan.WDFW is part of NABCP’s WesternWorking Group for developingconservation strategies for western batspecies. Another regional collaboration isthe Northwest Bat Cooperative, analliance interested in cooperativelyfunding research in the Pacific Northwest,most recently bat selection of roosts inforested habitats. You can do your part by learning moreabout how to live with the abundant batspecies in your own backyard, like theLittle brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), orways you can help declining species, likethe Keen’s Myotis’(Myotis keenii) atwww.batsnorthwest.org.

form. The planning document was builton input from a conference last Septemberwhich drew 150 participants representinga broad spectrum of wildlife tourisminterests. One aim of the strategic plan is to assistlocal communities, especially in thestate’s rural areas, in developing soundwildlife tourism activities and events. Among other elements, the strategicplan proposes:

• Developing wildlife viewing sites onWDFW lands and provide matchinggrants for local capital projects

• Assigning an eastern Washingtonwatchable wildlife biologist tocoordinate efforts east of theCascades that protect wildlife

• Developing a watchable wildlife siteinventory database for inclusion inCTED’s www.experiencewashington.com interactive map

• Marketing Washington as a nationaland international wildlife viewingdestination

Of course, these kinds of efforts requirenew funding. With the current economycreating financial challenges on the statelevel and elsewhere, the best hope for

realizing these efforts is likely to bethrough partnerships with other entitiesinterested in promoting wildlife viewing. Such partnerships could be fostered bycreation of a Washington WatchableWildlife Coalition. Such a group wouldhelp provide professional and financialassistance to communities and conductregular wildlife viewing conferences. I’m excited about this new venture andhope that you, who are amongWashington’s most avid wildlife viewers,will help us make some of these thingshappen. The Strategic Plan for Development ofWildlife Viewing Activities inWashington can be seen on our website atwdfw.wa.gov/viewing/wildview.

Building wildlife viewingopportunities for the future (continued from page 1)

The fifth annual Backyard Bird and PlantFair is Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June6, at Firwood Nursery, 8403 W. BurroughsRoad, just south of Deer Park in northernSpokane County. This popular, free eventruns 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, featuringWDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuaryprogram, Spokane County CooperativeExtension and Master Gardener experts,tours of a “naturalized” landscape, andvendors with plants and birding supplies.

June 5-6: Spokane County Bird Fair

8

Tell Your Friends:Personalized Plates Help Wildlife

Washington Departmentof Fish and WildlifeBackyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program

Westside: 16018 Mill Creek Blvd.,Mill Creek, Wa. 98012 / 425-775-1311

Eastside: N. 8702 Division St.,Spokane, Wa. 99218 / 509-892-1001

Personalized PlatesHelp Wildlife

The Washington Department of Fish and

Wildlife will provide equal opportunities to all

potential and existing employees without

regard to race, creed, color, sex, sexual

orientation, religion, age, marital status,

national origin, disability, or Vietnam Era

Veteran’s status.

The department receives Federal Aid for

fish and wildlife restoration.

The department is subject to Title VI of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits

discrimination on the basis of race, color,

national origin or handicap. If you believe

you have been discriminated against in any

department program, activity, or facility, or if

you want further information about Title VI

or Section 504, write to: Office of Equal

Opportunity, U.S. Department of Interior,

Washington, D.C. 20240, or Washington

Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol

Way N, Olympia WA 98501-1091.

The Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program, along with other non-game functions of theWashington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), is funded by the sale ofWashington state personalized motor vehicle license plates. These distinctive plates —in your choice of unclaimed word(s) up to seven letters — cost an extra $46 for thefirst year and an extra $30 for each subsequentyear. You can pick up an application form at anystate licensing or WDFW office, or by contactingthe Department of Licensing at P.O. Box 9042,Olympia, WA 98507, 360-902-3770(telephone menu option #5).

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OLYMPIA WAPERMIT #26

600 Capitol Way N • Olympia WA • 98501-1091

Electronic delivery availableA few Backyard Wildlife Sanctuarymanagers are getting this newsletter viae-mail notification of its posting onWDFW’s website, rather than a printedcopy in the mail. If you want electronicdelivery of future editions, send yourcomplete name and current deliveryaddress, along with your e-mail address,to newsletter editor Madonna Luers atluersmel@dfw.wa.gov.

What’s Your Habitat?April 19-25, 2004 marks the 65th annualNational Wildlife Week celebration ofwildlife and wild places with the theme“What’s Your Habitat?” Sponsored bythe National Wildlife Federation, thecelebration encourages kids and adultsacross the country to learn and experiencenature - starting in their own community,with their own “habitat.” For moreinformation and promotional materials,see www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek.