By Dee Renee Ericks
Each morning, with a Fitbit watch strapped to my wrist, I head out for a brisk walk about town in pursuit of my 10,000-step daily goal. Last summer, confined by Covid, this activity became especially important for sanity and solace.
On one of my walking routes, I was alerted by a fellow Audubon member of a bird strike at a three-sided glass bus shelter near Peninsula College. We observed that a junco had flown headlong into the glass, and lay dead on the concrete below. The shelter had transparent glass on three sides. Nearby was decorative landscaping, bushes and trees. The problem was obvious.
Bus shelter before marking. Photo: Dee Renee Ericks
I began making routine walking trips past the two clear-glass bus shelters close to Peninsula College. I began noticing areas where spits of feathers clung to glass from previous bird impacts. With concern, I reached out to Clallam Transit System in an email, and was put in touch with Maintenance Manager Mike Oliver. He kindly explained that the bus shelters were undergoing a design change to in part address bird strike issues. New shelters would be built with a perforated material, reducing significantly the amount of transparent glass. With a capital replacement schedule, replacement to older shelters would occur as funding became available.
Bird strikes on bus shelter glass. Photo: Dee Renee Ericks
On a walk ten days later, I spied a dead robin on the turf outside the second bus shelter, an obvious casualty of clear glass. Using information that OPAS had compiled for prevention of window strikes, Mike Oliver and his team came up with a plan to more quickly remedy the impacts. Glass treatments were ordered for the two shelters. Markers were installed on one shelter before winter set in. This April, the second shelter was marked during the wave of warm temperatures, and at the beginning of spring migration.
Bus shelter after markings. Photo: Dee Renee Ericks
There have been no new bird strikes detected on the two bus shelters since installation. I can now walk by with a light step, and enjoy the cacophony of bird songs knowing they are safer!
[Note: OPAS sent a follow-up letter of appreciation to Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, Board Chair of the Clallam Transit System. Read our letter.]