Golden Gate Bird Alliance has joined a lawsuit aimed at halting the death of migratory Cliff Swallows in netting installed by CalTrans at a highway bridge construction site in Petaluma.

Together with Native Songbird Care and Conservation, the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups, GGBA filed suit on May 17 against the California Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration over the deadly netting.

Wildlife advocates had repeatedly been asking CalTrans and its construction contractor to remove the netting and replace it with less lethal alternatives, to no avail.

“These swallows migrate 6,000 miles each year, only to return to their nesting sites here in Northern California and face a  brutal death in the CalTrans nets,” said GGBA Executive Director Mike Lynes. “The worst part is that these deaths are completely unnecessary. There are other, non-lethal ways to keep birds from nesting on bridges at construction sites.”

GGBA first wrote about the deadly swallow netting in our blog on April 17th, encouraging members to write or call CalTrans. Since then, the swallow death toll has risen from the dozens to over 100.

Following is the press release about the lawsuit:

Lawsuit Against Highway Agencies Targets Deaths of Migratory Swallows

Deadly Netting in Petaluma Has Killed, Injured More than 100 Swallows

SAN FRANCISCO – Conservation and animal protection groups filed a lawsuit Friday against the California Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration for causing and allowing the deaths of migratory cliff swallows nesting under bridges at a highway widening project in Petaluma, Calif. The agencies refuse to remove deadly netting installed at bridge overpasses as part of a Caltrans highway widening project along Highway 101 in the Marin-Sonoma Narrows. The netting has killed and injured more than 100 swallows in a one-month period.

“Incompetence and indifference by Caltrans is killing swallows that have just travelled 6,000 miles to return to a traditional nesting site, which the agency should have known about,” said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Caltrans continues to say the problem is fixed, but the netting is ineffective and deadly. There are better ways to discourage birds from nesting at a construction site.”

Swallows in netting / Photo by Scott Manchester, Santa Rosa Press Democrat

The entrapment and killing of swallows violates the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and National Environmental Policy Act.…

Manage your Golden Gate Bird Alliance membership and activities online with our new database.

Want to update your address? Register for a class or special event like the Birdathon dinner? Make a donation?  Renew your membership? You can now do all of that online.

Those of you who registered or donated online for Birdathon have already created an account for yourself. Ditto if you signed up online for one of our spring 2013 classes. Keep a record of the login name and password you used. You can use that same login/password in the future to sign up for other GGBA activities or to manage your membership.

If you have not yet created a login and password, go to the login page and click the “forget your password?” button. It will help you create a login and password.

The link to log in to your GGBA account is https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/goldengateaudubon/login.jsp You can also login through the “Login” link on the menu bar at the top of our home page.…

Wow! This year’s Birdathon offers some amazing top prizes — two nights at a beautiful ocean-view Bolinas vacation retreat, and a night at a charming cottage in Colusa, near the heart of winter flyway birding in the Central Valley.

The top individual fundraiser in Birdathon will receive two nights of their choice (not including holidays) at the Bolinas getaway, close to terrific birding sites at Bolinas Lagoon, Audubon Canyon Ranch and Point Reyes:

• A private 3-bedroom, 2-bath house with magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean. Each bedroom is luxuriously appointed. The living room and dining area have a truly incredible 6-window view of the Pacific with whitewater waves crashing over exposed rocks. The house has a fireplace and two wood stoves, a well equipped kitchen and a large deck for enjoying the sunset. In addition to the three bedrooms is a cozy loft and quiet areas to read and relax. It’s just a five-minute walk to tide pools at Agate Beach. You can learn more about the house, which is available for rent throughout the year, at  http://www.vrbo.com/56744. Thank you to the owners for this generous donation!

The second-place individual fundraiser will receive a one-night stay of their choice at Jay House, a charming vacation cottage in the town of Colusa, near Gray Lodge and other Sacramento Valley wildlife refuges:

• Spend the day among Tundra Swans and Sand Hill Cranes next winter, and then return to this fully- furnished two-bedroom retreat that sleeps up to 9 people (and well-behaved dogs). Wi-fi, complete kitchen and linens included. You can learn more about Jay House, which is available for rent throughout the year, at www.jayhousecolusa.com. Thank you to owners Connie Cloak and Chris Carrieri for this generous donation!

That’s not all… there will be more prizes for the teams or trips that raise the most money. High-quality Lowepro birding backpacks, restaurant gift certificates and more! And certificates of honor to those who sight the most birds and the Best Bird of Birdathon!

Don’t miss out on the chance to win… or just the fun of birding with other Audubon members and friends during Birdathon. Join one of our guided trips, or create your own self-guided trip. See the Birdathon web page for details and sign-up.

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