Tweets -- On 3 December, Mike Patterson reported
>
>60 Fulmars/km is quite a die off (about 7000 between Tillamook Bay
>and Willapa Bay).

.. and Stuart reported alarming numbers beached at Ocean Shores. For what
it's worth, here's a reference I located in _Ocean Birds of the Nearshore
Pacific_ by Rich Stallcup:

"Mostly a winter bird offshore California, abundant some years and scarce
in others. Eruptions of abundance in early winter (October through
December) are often followed by heavy mortality, evidenced by large numbers
of emaciated beached corpses. Though fulmars are much more common offshore,
during invasion years individuals may be seen at harbors waiting for scraps
of fish, or from coastal points flying nearshore. Following invasion
winters, individuals may be found throughout the next spring and into
summer, but most summer birds are notiecably unhealthy and all may be, to
some degree."

-- Stallcup, Rich. 1990. Ocean birds of the nearshore Pacific. Pt. Reyes
Bird Observatory, CA. 214 pp. (found on p. 48)

This still does not fully explain the *cause* behind the "invasions," nor
the die-off. If I learn more and Tweeters are interested, I'll post again
later ...

-- Janet Hardin
Port Townsend, WA
wings at olympus.net