[BCNnet] Soldier Field update

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 08:58:15 -0500

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Dear BCN,
I finally got a hold of the facilities manager at Soldier Field.  By the
way, SMG is the=20
management company not the Park District.

The scoop is this:
When they have an event (they have one nearly every night this week) they
clean for the next 6-8 hours which means  internal lights and stadium light=
s
(all their lights really) will be on.
I was told the lights would not be full strength when they clean but they
certainly were yesterday
morning. He is checking on that. Even at reduced levels it will remain a
serious danger for birds.

This is truly unfortunate planning.  Does anyone know if there was a
different arrangement
 agreed upon for the lighting? Obviously they have to clean but this insure=
s
a real bird trap for most nights of migration.

The bright lights that beam out the interior lakeside windows are =B3safety
lights=B2 along the hallways and there are no plans to turn them out or down.
They are a real problem and most certainly will draw birds into the eastern
glass wall and into the general area.

Other news to me is that the building is still under construction and they
do not have all of the control now
that they will have over the lights system. They imply that there will be
more control over dimming, etc-this will not impact the
=B3safety=B2 lighting.

He stated that he had not had bird one although I have witnesses and
comments as to a handful of disoriented
or dead birds plus a very mixed up ovenbird that I saw myself that was
actually flying at the concrete wall. This information
is from two trips down there.

I seriously doubt that anyone is checking the areas where the birds would
fall stunned or injured (not to mention at
the hour that they could be found) , and there is a serious predator proble=
m
as several cats prowl both the garage and
the general premises.

I am going to send the facilities manager an e-mail noting the impacted
birds that I have documentation for at this point.
I also said that I would spread the word to other interested
conservationists as to what was going on there at the moment.

It sounds like the manager will consider letting the Collision Monitors go
into the secure areas to rescue birds.  Several high security
buildings are doing that for us now. I hope at least we can start getting t=
o
the birds that hit and maybe get help from their staff
to locate and save birds . We are getting this type of assistance at many o=
f
the problem buildings downtown now.

I hope that there is a way around this lakefront building being lit up most
nights.  It will balance out much of the work I and
others have done to make the Loop safer for birds.
Was the old soldier field lit up all night too? Obviously the glass and
height of this one is a different
animal but I am curious.

I don=B9t find this encouraging. It sounds like there is virtually nothing
that will be done through the end of this migration.
I got no timeline at all as far as the new lighting controls being availabl=
e
for dimming etc.=20

Maybe we can give them the choice of netting the eastern side of the
building or getting their lights out period. That seems fair
and they might seem a little more interested in turning their lights out.
They have no plans to turn out the colonnades either by the way.
Also if they are still installing the lighting system now, they could
certainly get a dimmer on the interior east =B3safety=B2 lights that are
blasting=20
out the clear glass windows.

The manager assured me that he is very concerned about the bird issue.

Robbie Hunsinger
Coordinator, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors
http://www.birdmonitors.net

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<TITLE>Re: [BCNnet] Soldier Field update</TITLE>
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Dear BCN, 
I finally got a hold of the facilities manager at Soldier Field. &nbsp;By t=
he way, SMG is the 
management company not the Park District. 
 
The scoop is this: 
When they have an event (they have one nearly every night this week) they <=
BR>
clean for the next 6-8 hours which means &nbsp;internal lights and stadium =
lights (all their lights really) will be on. 
I was told the lights would not be full strength when they clean but they c=
ertainly were yesterday 
morning. He is checking on that. Even at reduced levels it will remain a se=
rious danger for birds. 
 
This is truly unfortunate planning. &nbsp;Does anyone know if there was a d=
ifferent arrangement 
&nbsp;agreed upon for the lighting? Obviously they have to clean but this i=
nsures a real bird trap for most nights of migration. 
 
The bright lights that beam out the interior lakeside windows are &#8220;sa=
fety 
lights&#8221; along the hallways and there are no plans to turn them out or=
 down. 
They are a real problem and most certainly will draw birds into the eastern=
 glass wall and into the general area. 
 
Other news to me is that the building is still under construction and they =
do not have all of the control now 
that they will have over the lights system. They imply that there will be m=
ore control over dimming, etc-this will not impact the 
&#8220;safety&#8221; lighting. 
 
He stated that he had not had bird one although I have witnesses and commen=
ts as to a handful of disoriented 
or dead birds plus a very mixed up ovenbird that I saw myself that was actu=
ally flying at the concrete wall. This information 
is from two trips down there. 
 
I seriously doubt that anyone is checking the areas where the birds would f=
all stunned or injured (not to mention at 
the hour that they could be found) , and there is a serious predator proble=
m as several cats prowl both the garage and 
the general premises. 
 
I am going to send the facilities manager an e-mail noting the impacted bir=
ds that I have documentation for at this point. 
I also said that I would spread the word to other interested conservationis=
ts as to what was going on there at the moment. 
 
It sounds like the manager will consider letting the Collision Monitors go =
into the secure areas to rescue birds. &nbsp;Several high security 
buildings are doing that for us now. I hope at least we can start getting t=
o the birds that hit and maybe get help from their staff 
to locate and save birds . We are getting this type of assistance at many o=
f the problem buildings downtown now. 
 
I hope that there is a way around this lakefront building being lit up most=
 nights. &nbsp;It will balance out much of the work I and 
others have done to make the Loop safer for birds. 
Was the old soldier field lit up all night too? Obviously the glass and hei=
ght of this one is a different 
animal but I am curious. 
 
I don&#8217;t find this encouraging. It sounds like there is virtually noth=
ing that will be done through the end of this migration. 
I got no timeline at all as far as the new lighting controls being availabl=
e for dimming etc. 
 
Maybe we can give them the choice of netting the eastern side of the buildi=
ng or getting their lights out period. That seems fair 
and they might seem a little more interested in turning their lights out. T=
hey have no plans to turn out the colonnades either by the way. 
Also if they are still installing the lighting system now, they could certa=
inly get a dimmer on the interior east &#8220;safety&#8221; lights that are =
blasting 
out the clear glass windows. 
 
The manager assured me that he is very concerned about the bird issue. 
 
Robbie Hunsinger 
Coordinator, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors 
http://www.birdmonitors.net 
 

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