This time last year we were frequently talking about the influx of the West
Nile virus and some were expecting disaster in 2003 for our corvids. I
wonder if West Nile -- or some other disease -- has spread among the
fulmars. The responsible authorities are looking into this possibility, I
hope.

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.webster at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Donahue" <mgd at u.washington.edu>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:23 PM
Subject: fulmars inshore


> This unusual influx of fulmars inshore is certainly great for birders, but
I
> want to remind folks that it's probably not so great for the fulmars.
These
> are birds that are adapted for life on the ocean. This influx into the
sound
> (the south sound at that!) is concurrent with numbers of dead and dying
> fulmars being reported on the ocean beaches in Washington and California
> (where they also found dead birds out in Monterey Bay, too) over the last
> month. (I don't know what's going on on the ocean beaches in Oregon, but I
> assume they've got dead and dying fulmars, too.)
>
> Mike Donahue
> Seattle
>
>
>