[mou] Nighthawks & Roofs
Mike Hendrickson
smithville4@charter.net
Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:25:40 -0500
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I have yet to hear a single Common Nighthawk in Duluth this year and =
also I have yet to see one during the nesting period in Duluth. I know =
this August I will see several hundred Common Nighthawks migrating over =
Duluth but in the last 3-4 years during the months of May - July I have =
yet to hear/see one in Duluth! When I was a teenager I use to hear =
nighthawks in my neighborhood and in other neighborhoods in Duluth every =
summer. These days you be lucky to hear one in Duluth! Back in the =
early 80's (forgot exact date) on a late August or early September =
evening (forgot month LOL !!) Kim Eckert and I counted over 10,000 =
nighthawks migrating down the northshore of Lake Superior. I always =
wonder each late August when the nighthawks are migrating over Duluth in =
the hundreds and times in the thousands, where did these nighthawks come =
from? Are these birds from St. Louis County, Lake County, Cook County, =
Itasca County and counties further west? Or are these birds from =
Ontario, migrating along the northshore of Lake Superior?
Some say the roofing methods have changed and that the rubber roofs are =
to hot for nesting birds. That is true but during the 5-6 years in the =
flat roofing trade, many developers were getting away from rubber roofs =
systems and going to a built up roof system (tar/rocks). It's cheaper =
for developers to go with a rubber roof system but the warranty is =
shorter and their is more a maintance issue with these roofs vs. a hot =
tar roof that have a longer warranty and less maintenance. Built up =
roof cost more because their is more material used to put up a built up =
roof system. The Common Nighthawks prefer the hot tar roofs vs. rubber =
roofs. The main reason is (again) that rubber roofs are very hot on a =
warm day. Yes some rubber roof systems have rocks on them and the rocks =
are a river wash rock ( smooth and rounded rocks). The rocks hold down =
the rubber roof as a ballast. The rocks are spread out very carefully =
with large push brooms and the rocks are never piled on top of each =
other in layers. So if a killdeer or a nighthawk tried to nest on one of =
these rubber roofs the eggs will most likely cook and the adults will =
have hard boiled eggs! On a built up roof, you use a different rock ( =
pea rocks or class 5 rock ) and the rocks are tarred into the roof =
system. A guy will mop on some tar and another person tosses rocks on it =
and cover all the tar up using push brooms and the back side of rakes. =
The roofs are cooler and do not soak up heat like rubber roofs and the =
pea rocks are small and easier for birds like nighthawks to make a nest =
or a bowl amongst the rocks.
I noticed some of the larger buildings being developed in Duluth (Duluth =
Clinic, St. Lukes and St. Mary's, all the new hotels along Canal Park =
Drive and all the new condos) are all using the rubber roof systems. =
Many of the old built up roofs in Duluth have been torn off and new =
rubber roofs were put in their place instead. When I worked in the =
roofing trade I spent more time on rubber roofs and ripping off built =
roofs. The reason is that engineers say that the winter temps in Duluth =
are tough on built up roofs systems with the tar cracking, flashing =
around the perimeter of the roof breaking down, the fluctuation of temps =
create air bubbles under the tar paper and the bubbles soon crack open =
causing leaks in the roofs. Rubber roofs work better in the cold temps =
in Duluth. When I was taking apprenticeship classes in the Twin Cities, =
the teachers told us that the roofing contractors were tearing up rubber =
roof systems and going back built up roof systems because the built up =
roofs in the Twin Cities area last longer vs. the rubber roof system. I =
believe the rubber on these roofs in the Twin Cities get very hot and =
break down especially along the seams and around the flashing where you =
use calk and glue.
So that is good news for nighthawks in the Twin Cities but Duluth's =
population of nighthawks are going to continue to fall because of a lack =
of nesting locations on buildings.
=20
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Minnesota Birding Treks
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I have yet to hear a single =
Common=20
Nighthawk in Duluth this year and also I have yet to see one during the =
nesting=20
period in Duluth. I know this August I will see several hundred Common=20
Nighthawks migrating over Duluth but in the last 3-4 years during the =
months of=20
May - July I have yet to hear/see one in Duluth! When I was a =
teenager I=20
use to hear nighthawks in my neighborhood and in other neighborhoods in =
Duluth=20
every summer. These days you be lucky to hear one in Duluth! Back =
in the=20
early 80's (forgot exact date) on a late August or early September =
evening=20
(forgot month LOL !!) Kim Eckert and I counted over=20
10,000 nighthawks migrating down the northshore of Lake=20
Superior. I always wonder each late August when =
the nighthawks are=20
migrating over Duluth in the hundreds and times in the=20
thousands, where did these nighthawks come from? Are these =
birds from=20
St. Louis County, Lake County, Cook County, Itasca County and counties=20
further west? Or are these birds from Ontario, migrating =
along=20
the northshore of Lake Superior?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Some say the roofing methods =
have changed=20
and that the rubber roofs are to hot for nesting birds. That is =
true but=20
during the 5-6 years in the flat roofing trade, many developers were =
getting=20
away from rubber roofs systems and going to a built up roof system=20
(tar/rocks). It's cheaper for developers to go with a rubber =
roof=20
system but the warranty is shorter and their is more a maintance issue =
with=20
these roofs vs. a hot tar roof that have a longer warranty and less =
maintenance. Built up roof cost more because their is more =
material used=20
to put up a built up roof system. The Common Nighthawks =
prefer=20
the hot tar roofs vs. rubber roofs. The main reason is (again) that =
rubber=20
roofs are very hot on a warm day. Yes some rubber roof systems =
have rocks=20
on them and the rocks are a river wash rock ( smooth and rounded =
rocks).=20
The rocks hold down the rubber roof as a ballast. The rocks =
are=20
spread out very carefully with large push brooms and the rocks are =
never=20
piled on top of each other in layers. So if a killdeer or a=20
nighthawk tried to nest on one of these rubber roofs the eggs will =
most=20
likely cook and the adults will have hard boiled eggs! =
On a=20
built up roof, you use a different rock ( pea rocks or class 5 rock =
) and=20
the rocks are tarred into the roof system. A guy will mop on some tar =
and=20
another person tosses rocks on it and cover all the tar up using =
push=20
brooms and the back side of rakes. The roofs are cooler and do =
not=20
soak up heat like rubber roofs and the pea rocks are small and easier=20
for birds like nighthawks to make a nest or a bowl amongst the=20
rocks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I noticed some of the larger =
buildings=20
being developed in Duluth (Duluth Clinic, St. Lukes and St. Mary's, all =
the new=20
hotels along Canal Park Drive and all the new condos) are all using the =
rubber=20
roof systems. Many of the old built up roofs in Duluth have been torn =
off and=20
new rubber roofs were put in their place instead. When I worked in =
the=20
roofing trade I spent more time on rubber roofs and ripping off =
built=20
roofs. The reason is that engineers say that the winter temps in =
Duluth are=20
tough on built up roofs systems with the tar cracking, flashing around =
the=20
perimeter of the roof breaking down, the fluctuation of temps=20
create air bubbles under the tar paper and the bubbles soon crack =
open=20
causing leaks in the roofs. Rubber roofs work better in the=20
cold temps in Duluth. When I was taking =
apprenticeship=20
classes in the Twin Cities, the teachers told us that the roofing=20
contractors were tearing up rubber roof systems and going back built up =
roof=20
systems because the built up roofs in the Twin Cities area last =
longer vs.=20
the rubber roof system. I believe the rubber on these =
roofs in=20
the Twin Cities get very hot and break down especially along the seams =
and=20
around the flashing where you use calk and glue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>So that is good news =
for nighthawks=20
in the Twin Cities but Duluth's population of nighthawks are going =
to=20
continue to fall because of a lack of nesting locations on=20
buildings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" =
size=3D2> </FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Michael =
Hendrickson<BR>Duluth,=20
Minnesota<BR>Minnesota Birding Treks<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart=
er.net/mmhendrickson/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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