Re: “Can a tiny shorebird cease the huge growth of a container port?” [June 5, A1]:
Thanks for the Local weather Lab article by Lynda Mapes. Her clarification of the biofilm western sandpipers eat, fueling the final leg of their migration 1000’s of extra miles, is great. We would like these champions of flight, migration and hope to outlive. Who wouldn’t? The wonders of migration like steady flight, path discovering and group flight are nonetheless studied by scientists.
Birds Join Seattle screened the Nature documentary “Flyways,” now streaming free on-line on PBS. It describes the challenges confronted by migratory shorebirds globally. With a physique weight of about 26 grams, equal to five nickels, western sandpipers are like canaries in a coal mine. Defending them could save us.
Barbara Downward, Seattle
