Dark Sky
Last week’s focus was bright sky objects. I’m going to flip the switch to dark sky.
Birds have begun their annual southward migration. In fact, we are already in the midst of the Full Fall Migration Period: August 15 — November 30, 2024. During this period, light pollution is deadly to birds.
We can ameliorate the danger by taking several actions. The first is “Lights Out” during critical migration periods.
BirdCast is a fascinating website which allows us to see the predicted bird migration over our location. You can type in the local zip code and see live alerts.
In addition to looking out into my yard at night, how do I know how dark my personal region is? I’m fortunate to live in a relatively dark(er) sky area near the Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina. The red and pink regions are bright skies.
According to the world light pollution map, the eastern half and the Western Coastal areas of the US have the worst light pollution.
This blog holds critical information regarding light pollution and bird migration. Take a few minutes to look at the linked sites above to see what is happening in your town. Consider the actions you can take to help keep birds safe as they fly over your home with responsible outdoor lighting.
