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Bowers Field WildlifeHazard Management Plan <br />Over 20,000 European starlings and other blackbirds were observed flying into, around, <br />out of, and roosting in the cattails and trees/shrubs surrounding the shoreline of pond V in <br />August. Significantly fewer blackbirds were observed using the pond other times of the <br />y"ui. tt is common flr adult and immature blackbirds and starlings to congregate in large <br />roosts in mid to late summer. These roosts may be used again during winter and spring <br />migration. <br />Water is typically one of the most attractive habitats at airports across the country, but <br />this level of significant use was unexpected <br />Other than a limited number of European starlings feeding and loafing around the areas <br />where supplemental feed was provided for cattle, in the west undeveloped pasture (noted <br />above), iittle grazing on airport property did not appear to attract hazardous wildlife in a <br />-unn", that negatively impacted aviation safety. Calving was not permitted on airport <br />property, which likely reduced the presence of large scavengers' <br />2.2 WHE Conclusion and Recommendations <br />ELN does not have a wildlife observation, control, and strike database, nor are there records <br />of a control program at the airfield. USDA WS recommends that ELN develop a hazardous <br />wildlife control program. USDA WS will provide a useful example database and <br />recommends that ELN use it or develop their own. <br />USDA WS has yet to encounter an airport that does not have some level of hazardous <br />wildlife activity,and ELN is no exception. However, mammals (e.g., coyotes), <br />pigeons/doves, shorebirds (e.g., killdeer and other plovers), upland birds (e'g., pheasant <br />and quail), and wading birds (e.g., herons and egrets), which are typically observed <br />atlaround airports throughout Washington, were infrequently observed and few in <br />number. <br />Songbirds were frequently observed but are not a guild that wildlife hazard management <br />programs generally focus control efforts or habitat management towards' Nationally, <br />they are often struck, but rarely cause damage. Songbirds can attract some predators, <br />which would be more hazardous to aviation safety, but that was not observed during the <br />WHE. Directing habitat management towards detening or excluding this guild could <br />result in increasing the attractiveness for a more hazardous guild. <br />Cattle grazingdid not appear to increase wildlife hazards and likely helps manage <br />vegetation and reduce weedy species in areas where grazingoccurs' Calving operations <br />are not permitted on airport property and that policy should continue. <br />The following is a practical discussion for dealing with the key hazardous guilds <br />documented during this WHE - blackbirds, corvids, raptors, and waterfowl. <br />31 December 2024 <br />2-10