It’s the beginning of September, which, for bird enthusiasts—specifically seabird enthusiasts—means the birds have left their nests (or lack thereof, if you’re a Common Murre) on the rocky cliffs. With the cliffs now nearly empty, it also means fewer ranger programs for me. So, what have I been doing instead? The answer: bird dots. Lots of bird dots.

Our facilities maintenance team has been installing bird-friendly collision film on windows to help prevent birds from flying into them. The film has tiny white dots that create a visual cue for the bird to know a solid object is there. For those who may not know, window collisions are the leading cause of bird deaths, second only to outdoor house cats! According to Audubon, collisions with human-made structures is a leading cause of bird deaths in the United States, causing up to 1 billion bird deaths each year in North America. In an effort to reduce these incidents, our park is applying the dots to all our windows, and I’ve been helping with the task.

Though it can be tedious at times, I enjoy it because I get to work outside and see the finished product when I’m done. Here are some images of the completed windows at the park.