The Burke Museum at the UW is analyzing 1000 N. Fulmar carcases. I have
been advised that there is little evidence that starvation was the
primary cause of the mortality; there is some evidence of disease.
Perhaps they will post a summary before too long.

Gene Hunn.

On Tue, 9 Jan 1996 jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca wrote:

> This is meant mainly for Richard Rowlett but also anyone else with
> knowledge on the subject: what is the main foraging strategy of N. Fulmar
> (and other tubenoses)? Is their main prey surfacing nocturnal animals such
> as squid? If so, do they have to have relatively flat seas in order to
> feed successfully? The forwarded note from Gary Kaiser saying that the
> wrecked specimens he had seen were emaciated lends credence to the
> starvation/weather theory being the major cause of the fulmar deaths i.e.
> storm force winds produced seas "lumpy" enough to prevent feeding ->
> starving birds then either fell to the sea nearshore and were swept
> onshore by wave action or were "wrecked" onshore and succumbed to either
> wind/weather damage or "exposure" on land.
>
> Another subject - heard interview with Gary Kaiser on CBC radio this
> morning. Apparently rats have finally been eliminated from Langara I. off
> the NW tip of the Queen Charlotte Is. Puffins were seen there this summer
> for the first time in years. Perhaps there is hope yet that the rat
> problem on islands can be overcome.
>
> - Jack
>
> ---------------------------------------
> jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca
> Jack Bowling
> Prince George, BC
> Canada
>
>