The Talaris property at 4000 N.E 41st Street, Seattle, WA has been the nest site for a pair of Bald Eagles for more than a decade. I have taken to calling them Talia and Russ because these names, when said in that order, sound similar to Talaris.
The following sign, facing NE 41st St, informs those who pass by that the property is soon to be subdivided and developed.
The next photo shows the representation of the plan as displayed on the sign. It clearly says the plan may vary. However, nothing I have come across, so far, indicates major changes to the plan. (Note: This is a quick post due to time constraints as mentioned below.)
The Bald Eagle's nest is located in the southwest portion of the property - approximately halfway between the houses numbered 31 and 30. (Specifically, the nest is in the clump of Cottonwood trees immediately above the final "n" in the word "Representation" in the artwork.)
This photo is from the June 16th, 2022, Preliminary Arborist Report.
On page two of the report it states 226 trees to be removed, i.e. 52% of the 436 trees on the property. (The removal of so many trees is counter to our citizen's best interest and desires. Click Here for proof)
The red circles, in the photo above, indicate failing or dead trees and the blue circles indicate trees in poor condition. The location of houses (in the prior artwork) to the poor quality trees does not appear to be coincidental.
Although, as you will see a poor quality tree, from a human perspective, may actually be a very high quality tree from nature's point of view. Today, I am focusing on the Cottonwoods in the lower left, that surround the Bald Eagle nest.
Cottonwood branches are easy to break even when the tree is alive. In fact, all but one of the many dozens of branches I have seen Bald Eagles collect for their nests have been cottonwood branches.
Generally, the eagles focus on breaking off smaller live branches near the tops of the trees. I do not believe it is simply an issue of easy access as I have seen Bald Eagles breaking off cottonwood branches quite some distance from their nests. I believe their primary motivation is the ease with with the branches break.
Similarly, the majority of Western Washington Bald Eagle nests I have seen have been built in cottonwood trees. The trees tend to branch out near the top third of the trunk creating ideal nest sites. However, this also contributes to the trees more top heavy than many other tall local trees.
It is also important to note that, Populus trees (which include Cottonwoods) are one of the top four genera of trees that support caterpillars in our area. (Click Here to read more about their value.) This makes cottonwoods a keystone species. In other words, the caterpillars that the trees support may be the most important early food source, for the majority of all birds that nest and raise young in the city.
Update:
After writing this post I remembered hearing about how bees utilize cottonwoods trees. A search led me to this interesting website which mentions benefits for bees and humans.
Nature is amazing!
Finally, dead cottonwood trees are highly attractive as potential nest sites. If a woodpecker, like a Northern Flicker makes its nest in a Cottonwood snag the next year many different creatures may reuse the nest (although not at the same time). Squirrels and Wood Ducks are great examples. I have even seen a Pileated Woodpecker open up an old Northern Flicker nest, in a Cottonwood, to create a place to sleep during cold weather.
I agree, that Cottonwoods are not great trees to have near your house. From what I have seen around Foster Inland if a cottonwood tree dies, especially if it is girdled by a beaver, the whole tree is likely to fall within a few years. The logs along the far shore are most probably dead cottonwoods.
With all this in mind my suggestion would be to situation new housing in the Talaris property almost any where but the southwest corner - where the Cottonwood grove and the Bald Eagle nest are located. This would be better for the Bald Eagles, Northern Flickers, many secondary nesting creatures, and via supporting caterpillars, virtually all nesting birds in the area. (This last piece of logic would also put a premium on saving the trees in the genus Quercus, Prunus & Betula as they are also extremely supportive for caterpillars.) Plus, this would be the safest approach for the future residents of the property, not to mention being highly beneficial in terms of access to nature. The current approach seems to be unaware or unconcerned with these possibilities.
In the publicly accessible information on the project, that I found, it barely mentions saving a few of the Cottonwoods. Plus, it seems mostly concerned with the risk associated with disturbing the Bald Eagles.
It assumes the nesting Bald Eagles are habituated to the noise of traffic on NE 41st St. and so unlikely to take issue with activities beyond 120 feet. Specifically, the Ecology Report, dated August, 9th, 2018, in Appendix C - "Management Recommendations for Bald Eagle Nest" states,
"In conclusion, the subject Bald Eagle nest is unlikely to be impacted by project activities outside a 120-foot distance buffer as long as the landscape buffer (trees) within this area and the on-site wetland is maintained. However, to satisfy the City of Seattle and shield the applicant, obtaining an Eagle Incident Take permit is highly recommended. No other mitigation, site development alternatives, or ongoing management practices should be necessary."
In fact, the permit mentioned implies that if the nesting Bald Eagles are disturbed no one has to be concerned or take responsibility. In my opinion, this is not a logical approach. Living in harmony with nature is a responsibility we must all share whether we are developers, neighbors or more remote citizens of Seattle.
As a citizen of Seattle, I believe my (and our) only option left is to state our preferences. The online link where we can file public comments regarding this project will only accept input until:
