Wayne et al.,

Another option is that these Horned Puffins get here by drifting with the
Japanese Current, which passes easterly close "under" the arc of the
Aleutian Chain where the species commonly nests. The North Pacific Current
typically hits the Pacific coast at ca. 40 degrees N. Likely the main branch
of that current is deflected northward off Oregon and southward off
California, leaving Washington waters relatively horned puffin free.

Gene Hunn.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne C. Weber" <contopus at telus.net>
To: "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 2:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Re: Dead Puffins


> Tweeters,
>
> I suspect that Scott has hit the nail on the head as far as the
> distribution of dead Horned Puffins. On the Oregon coast, there are
> 11 towns with 4000 people or more. (I'm including Astoria and
> Tillamook, which are slightly "inland".) On the Washington coast,
> there is not one town that size. (Ocean Shores is just short of 4000
> people, and Hoquiam and Aberdeen are too far from the open coast to
> qualify.) So, better coverage of the coast in Oregon could be the main
> reason that more dead puffins are being found there.
>
> On the other hand, it could be that the factors causing mortality of
> Horned Puffins are operating mainly off the Oregon coast rather than
> the WA coast. It seems unlikely that this northern species is actually
> more numerous off OR than off WA.
>
> Persons interested in the status of Horned Puffins in the Pacific
> States may be interested in reading an article published by Wayne
> Hoffman et al. in 1975 (Western Birds 6:87-94). This article, written
> just before a major spring/summer incursion into southern California
> in 1975, nonetheless notes the switch from mainly winter records of
> dead birds, to mainly spring/summer records of live birds off the West
> Coast.
>
> Wayne C. Weber
> Delta, BC
> contopus at telus.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Scott Atkinson <scottratkinson at hotmail.com>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 12:41 PM
> Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Re" Dead Puffins
>
>
>> Tweeters:
>>
>> How about the simple possibility that the OR coast is being covered
> much
>> better than that of WA? I mean, think of the northern part of the
> WA coast
>> in Clallam-Jefferson Counties. A vast area with much more difficult
>> drive-up access than much of the OR coast, also surely getting
> minimal
>> coverage by beachcombing birders, especially at this time of year.
>>
>> Scott Atkinson
>> Lake Stevens
>> mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com
>>
>>
>
>
>
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