Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
roll up at 9:57, and in less than a minute three blackbirds are in the store. A
few days later I observe the same phenomenon. More than a hundred people
eagerly await the store's opening on Super Bowl Sunday, and again the black-
birds arrive just as the people do. Those in the front of the line with the birds
notice them and talk about the crafty animals. Two birds l y in as the doors
open. The behavior of Brewer's blackbirds is now closely tied to the commer-
cial day; our habits shape their diet and schedule. Their habitat includes the
places where we shop and work.
Industrial areas such as the parking lot where I watched blackbirds are
not traditionally viewed as important locales for birds. They do not i t my
dei nition of subirdia—the rich mosaic of residential and less disturbed land
that harbors tremendous bird diversity. Yet suburban people work here, and
therefore these lands are essential in enabling subirdia to persist. Business
sites, which include shopping areas, oi ce parks, commercial and industrial
portions of the inner city, hospitals, and school campuses, are varied as well.
Often they include substantial food and shelter for birds, and they provide
unique opportunities to foster bird diversity beyond subirdia.
Don Norman is one of Seattle's top birders. If a bird l its or chips, Don
can identify it. In 2004 I was looking to broaden my perspective on birds in
residential areas by sampling a wider variety of forest reserves and business
sites. My students and I had our hands full, but we needed to put subirdia
into context, so I asked Don about his availability. I'm sure my request was a
dilemma; I would pay him to do what he loved, but he'd have to bird in some
of Seattle's most degraded lands. Don loved the challenge and started contact-
ing businesses. He tried to access lands owned by local municipalities, col-
leges, and the corporate grounds of Boeing, Microsoft, Aerojet, Medtronics,
Boise Cascade, and Oberto. Most were glad to accommodate Don's odd re-
quest. In short order we had seventeen new study sites, including business
centers, multifamily housing units, and additional forest reserves. Don began
