Tweeters:

There was a fascinating Associated Press story in the local section of
the Seattle P-I this morning (Monday June 2) about problems with nesting
success of Bald Eagles in the Hood Canal area. Nesting success is about
half that of other Bald Eagle populations.

According to the article, sampling of eggs has shown elevated levels of
PCBs but scientists are still unclear why Hood Canal Eagles have
elevated levels of PCBs, since the fish there have about the same levels
as fish elsewhere.

Scientists have tracked by satellite a few of the Hood Canal eagles to
their wintering grounds up north, but that hasn't produced any
explanation for elevated PCBs. Next a UW scientist intends to study the
feces of the Hood Canal eagles.

One scientist, Olympia-based whale expert John Calambokidis, theorizes
that Hood Canal eagles might feast more on seals than do eagles
elsewhere. An eagle eating a seal would be getting 10 to 100 times more
PCBs than an eagle eating a fish, he said. (I assume this is because
PCBs are not water-soluble and are stored in the fat, and seals have
lots of fat?)

The wire story had a Bremerton dateline, which indicates it could have
originated with the Bremerton Sun.

--
Jane Hadley
jhadle at halcyon.com
Seattle, WA