[Tweeters] evening grosbeaks in urgent trouble on hwy 20

[Ann Kramer via Tweeters]

Hi Ronda,

Yes, that was one suggestion which I think is a good suggestion for DOT.
It was also suggested that possibly some Audubon chapters could apply salt
at a safer location for the birds.  I'm unfamiliar with where that would be
but it's another good idea I am exploring with other board members.

Ann

On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 12:01 PM David Swinford <dgswinford at gmail.com> wrote:


> Thanks for providing the DOT contact info.  If the carnage is ongoing,

> perhaps nature lovers across the state could flood the DOT zone (email,

> voice message) asking them to post a temporary speed limit reduction

> through the area and perhaps a law enforcement presence.  I just did and

> wished I had a photo, too graphic for Facebook to attach to it.    Having

> graphic photos would be very helpful.   If you have those, send them to DOT

> and your local media.   If you don't have those and are nearby, go get

> some.     Graphic photos, some years ago, of migrating Antelope slaughtered

> on a Wyoming highway helped lead to over and underpass mitigations.

> https://www.nfwf.org/programs/path-pronghorn/better-path-pronghorn

>

>

> On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 11:34 AM Ronda Stark via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

>> Hi Ann,

>>

>> I think the idea is to remove the salt from the roadway as that is

>> attracting the Grosbeaks and Finches. That said, multiple messages from

>> Board members is likely to carry more

>> weight than random messages.

>>

>> Thank you,

>> Ronda

>>

>> On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 10:52 AM Ann Kramer via Tweeters <

>> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>>

>>> Thank you for all the suggestions that have been given.

>>>

>>> I copied this email chain with the issues and potential remedies and

>>> just mailed it to my Skagit  Audubon chapter board members, of which I'm

>>> one. The North Cascades is close to our region. I asked them for their

>>> ideas to see if we could do anything.  I'm not very familiar with Hwy 20

>>> but if there is a way to apply salt or gravel safely, I would appreciate

>>> any direction on how to go about that or if it even is a safe option.  We

>>> are willing to get the salt and try to make it up there this weekend.

>>>

>>> I've also contacted WSDOT and was transferred to communications, where I

>>> had to leave a message.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Ann

>>>

>>> On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 10:33 AM Jerry Tangren via Tweeters <

>>> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>>>

>>>> I haven’t seen this in the discussion, but does WADOT already have a

>>>> policy statement?

>>>>

>>>> —Jerry Tangren

>>>>

>>>> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

>>>> ------------------------------

>>>> *From:* Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> on

>>>> behalf of Shelf Life Community Story Project via Tweeters <

>>>> tweeters at u.washington.edu>

>>>> *Sent:* Thursday, 02 July 2026 10:26:15

>>>> *To:* David Swinford <dgswinford at gmail.com>

>>>> *Cc:* Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Tweeters] evening grosbeaks in urgent trouble on hwy 20

>>>>

>>>> My friend at DNR said to flood the phones at the NW Regional WSDOT

>>>> office. Even if they don’t care about the birds, the people who DO care are

>>>> causing traffic hazards by swerving, braking suddenly, running along the

>>>> shoulder. They’re going to end up with a pile up on HWY 20 if they don’t do

>>>> something. Seems like some robust street cleaners could scrub / rinse the

>>>> salt from that stretch of road any/or THEY could create some temporary

>>>> traffic slowing measures.

>>>>

>>>> (206) 440-4000

>>>> nwpublicaffairs at wsdot.wa.gov

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> Jill Freidberg

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> On Jul 2, 2026, at 9:31 AM, David Swinford via Tweeters <

>>>> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>>>>

>>>> A quick solution might require some old fashioned conservation

>>>> activism.    What if local birding clubs, dedicated to conservation and

>>>> informing the public got a few volunteers together to block the road?   Not

>>>> to stop traffic but to establish something of an information checkpoint to

>>>> stop drivers briefly and inform them of the natural phenomenon occurring on

>>>> the road ahead so they are aware and can take appropriate action?

>>>>

>>>> While you have your group of volunteers together, inform the local

>>>> media, DOT and State Patrol and/or local law enforcement and tell them what

>>>> you are going to do and why.  If it's in the National Park, tell them too.

>>>> I, in my eternally naive state, believe the agencies would likely support

>>>> it.    I visualize flashing lights on an emergency vehicle ahead of the

>>>> checkpoint manned by smiling bird club volunteers, appreciative drivers and

>>>> happy birds, if they experience such things.    First responders and the

>>>> relevant agencies would love the feel good press they would get from

>>>> supporting efforts to mitigate wildlife slaughter.   More durable

>>>> solutions might also follow.

>>>>

>>>> My quick research found a post on June 23 on a large public Facebook

>>>> group with 167K members titled KOMO #SoNorthwest Photography.   It's a

>>>> place for Northwest photographers to share their photography.  The post

>>>> featured some beautiful photo's of North Cascades nature but noted the bird

>>>> carnage on SR20.  Someone submitted a short video in response to that post

>>>> showing mixed flocks of Evening Grosbeaks and Cassin's Finches picking at

>>>> gravel alongside the road.   There was another FB post by Nikita trying to

>>>> raise awareness on Facebook by posting a photo that was apparently too

>>>> graphic for Facebook and was blocked!     If a photo of bird slaughter

>>>> was too graphic for Facebook, then maybe some real activism is needed.

>>>>

>>>> .

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 3:56 PM Scott Downes via Tweeters <

>>>> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>>>>

>>>> I work for WDFW and regularly work with WSDOT on projects. To get a

>>>> solution together it’s likely this needs to get to their regional biologist

>>>> and to the WDFW district biologist to discuss solutions. Both road salt and

>>>> grit (sand) can be an attractant but also used for road projects for

>>>> safety. I’ll send those contacts to you tomorrow from my work email.

>>>>

>>>> Scott Downes

>>>> Downess at charter.net

>>>> Yakima Wa

>>>>

>>>> On Jun 30, 2026, at 7:45 PM, via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

>>>> wrote:

>>>>

>>>> 

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> Hi Tweeters,

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> I drove to the north cascades on Saturday for a hike, and I saw an

>>>> absolute horror.

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> *Something absolutely horrible is happening right now on the North

>>>> Cascades highway (SR-20). Definitely hundreds, if not thousands of little

>>>> birds are getting murdered. Right after the highway starts to climb up

>>>> after the Diablo reservoir and reaches the sub-alpine areas until it goes

>>>> back down after the Washington pass, these little birds are attracted to

>>>> the road for some reason. Flocks of birds are sitting on the median line,

>>>> rumble strips and sides. There are many birds and they are just getting

>>>> plowed through by the car drivers. I have never seen something so horrible

>>>> before. There are dead birds on the road every few feet. Literally. I have

>>>> also never seen birds being so attracted to the roadway before either. I

>>>> drove this stretch of the highway at 15mph for an hour and made several

>>>> other drivers mad (their problem!), and I didn’t hit any birds, but it is

>>>> just horrible carnage out there regardless.* *Looking online, I found

>>>> out the birds are called evening grosbeaks and several people think that

>>>> most likely birds are on the road because they are attracted to the road

>>>> salt. If that is true, at least we can do something to save them. Why is

>>>> WSDOT still using road salt? Who can we complain to ban road salt??? This

>>>> is unacceptable.*

>>>>

>>>> *I see many other people reported the same situation online, looks like

>>>> evening grosbeaks are getting killed by thousands since Hwy opened.*

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>    1. *I have already messaged WSDOT on their social media, but they

>>>>    didn’t respond.*

>>>>    2. *Is the guess even correct, and the birds are attracted to the

>>>>    salt? If so, why I have not seen this problem in years past.*

>>>>    3. *Most important: what can we do to help the birds?*

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> *Nikita*

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>> Tweeters mailing list

>>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>>>

>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>> Tweeters mailing list

>>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>>>

>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>> Tweeters mailing list

>>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>> Tweeters mailing list

>>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> Tweeters mailing list

>>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> Tweeters mailing list

>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>>

>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20260702/d38682da/attachment.html>