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Hi folks,

Just got my copy of the Journal of Wildlife Management, quarterly journal of The Wildlife
Society. Accompanying the journal was the following monograph, which I thought some of
us might be interested in:

Stalmaster, Mark V., and James L Kaiser. 1998. Effects of Recreational Activity
on Wintering Bald Eagles. Wildl. Monogr. 137. 46pp.

Abstract:

"We studied how recreational activity affected wintering bald eagles (Haliaeetus
leucocephalus) on the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area (SRBENA) in northwest
Washington in 1985-86, 1986-87. and 1987-88. Winter use of the SRBENA was high for
both eagles (peak of 264 birds/day) and recreationalists (peak of 115 events/day), and
human-eagle interactions were common. Our study assessed how recreationalists affected
bald eagle numbers, distribution, activity, and feeding on chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta).

"The number of eagles in our study area was negatively correlated with the daily number of
recreational events (n = 163 days, R = -0.679, P < 0.01), and feeding activity declined
exponentially with increased recreational activity (r = -0.445, P < 0.001). On weekdays
when recreational use was high, fewer eagles used the river and they fed less than on
weekdays; feeding was high following weekend disturbances. Disruption of feeding activity
was most pronounced between 0800 and 1100 hours. An empirically-derived model predicted
that feeding was reduced 35% in the SRBENA because of recreational use.

"Based on flushing responses and flushing distances, foot traffic was most disturbing to
eagles, fishing boats were intermediate in effect, and eagle-viewing boats were least
disturbing (P < 0.001). However, boat traffic, especially motorboats, disturbed a greater
portion of the eagle population than foot traffic. Boats that were early in the daily sequence
of events and in early-morning hours were most disruptive to eagle behavior (P < 0.01).
Eagles feeding on the ground were less tolerant (P < 0.001) of recreationists than eagles
perching in trees. Flushing responses were lower and flushing distances were shorter
(P < 0.05) on weekends than on weekdays.

"Eagles resumed feeding relatively rapidly after the initial disturbances of the day, but,
after 20 recreational events, eagles were slow to resume eating and, after 40 events,
feeding was uncommon (P < 0.05). Feeding resumed rapidly after disturbance by fishing
boats (P < 0.05) and slowly after eagle-viewing boats (P < 0.05), because fishing boats
were earlier in the daily sequence of events. Eagles required nearly 4 hours to resume
feeding after disturbance by foot traffic compared to 36 minutes after boat traffic.

"Experimental boat disturbances (n = 156) indicated that eagle numbers were lower on
weekends and in afternoons because of recreational activity (P < 0.01), subadults were
less tolerant of disturbance than adults (P < 0.05), and boating was more disturbing on
narrow than on wide river channels. Our evidence indicated that some eagles were
displaced to secluded areas during disturbances. Flushing responses declined over the
winter season (P < 0.001), but flushing distances were unchanged (P > 0.05).

"We recommend prohibiting recreational activity in the SRBENA during the first 5 hours
of daylight within 400 m of eagles to minimize disturbance of feeding behavior, restricting
foot traffic and the use of motorboats, enhancing chum salmon runs in secluded river
reaches, and providing public education to increase support for management actions."
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Interesting how this study results in kicking the steelhead fishermen off the river, but that
the "5-hour rule" allows time for the Nature Conservancy customers to have their morning
latte' and make the drive to the Skagit to put in *their* boats for the eagle-watching trips....
Now, I wonder what would have been the eagles' response to prohibiting boating activity
for the *last* 5 hours of the day, and letting them have their afternoon feeding times
undisturbed? :-)

Jon. (*not* being P.C. today) Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net

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