For over 30 years, my wife Sally and I have been regulars at the Downtown Farmers' Market. We're in the group of early birds, who enjoy an uncrowded walk around the Square, a chance to talk to the vendors, some of whom are now friends, before they get too busy, and buy some great food before it sells out. Last fall, Sally and I discovered that other early birds were not so fortunate. On multiple Saturdays, we found a freshly dead warbler that had collided with one of the tall, newer glass buildings on the corners of the Square. That made for a somber walk to the car.

Birds hit windows. That comes as no surprise to most of us. This happens because bird vision is not evolved to see glass — really, no one’s vision is evolved that way, which is why there are slews of YouTube videos of people running into glass doors. Birds don’t have the benefit of communication and warning, and when approaching a large pane of glass, often see the reflection of sky or habitat. Even worse, birds fly quickly and are small-bodied, meaning that most of the time when they collide with a window, it is fatal.

Photo by Beth Workmaster