Hello All-
I thought I would give a report from yesterdays (31 May 2007) seabird
survey from the North Head lighthouse in Washington at the mouth of the
Columbia River. These twice-monthly surveys were started in August 2004
to compliment our ocean-based seabird research program in OR and WA.
All indications from our recent research cruises points to a very
productive ocean this year off OR and WA. Thus, coupled with a full
moon-spring tide, I expected yesterdays survey to be quite busy and
indeed it was. At first light as the river plume passed by the
lighthouse, several large rafts of 1000 + Sooty Shearwaters took flight
and started to feed with 100's of Pacific, Red-throated, Common Loons,
Common Murres, and Cormorants (all species). In the mix were many Brown
Pelicans and the seasons first few Heerman's Gulls. There was also an
unusually large number of Rhino Auklets very close in. Multiple rafts
of up to 8-12 Rhinos were spotted foraging and preening. Multiple Rhino
pairs were bill-nipping and circling each other with outstretched necks
apparently courting. One pair seemed to have even copulated or at least
made an attempt while on the water. There was at least three winter/
sub-adult Bonaparte's Gulls, and an immature Black-legged Kittiwake
foraging out in the mass of Sootys. An all black-headed Franklin's Gull
flew past to the north (feel free to inquire for details and sketch).
Widely dispersed shoals of baitfish would splash when single low-flying
gulls flew over poised for a plunge dive. We have been catching
spawning northern anchovy in our research trawls in the plume, and thats
the only fish species I saw in the bills of Caspian Terns returning to
their colony past the lighthouse. Out in the mass of bird activity were
many flocks Red-necked Phalaropes heading north. Things settled down a
bit after the plume front passed and many Sootys followed it to the
north. Mike Patterson arrived at the tail end of this early activity
and spotted a Parasitic sit down next to and flush a Pomarine Jaeger (of
course while I was tied up with a count!) out in the mass of a couple of
thousand shearwaters. About 1:00 pm, after Mike left, another tornado
of Sootys came in from the south and many immediately splashed down
after some grub. Eventually about 3/4 of the flock settled down while
the rest circled, dove and searched. I counted 6300 (conservative) in
this flock. As this initial flock picked up and moved north while
another "stream" of Sootys arrived from the south and continued past the
lighthouse at a rate of 500-700 per minute for a solid 3 hours. At
about 5:00 pm, another (the same?) large stream of Sootys approached
from the north. The northbound and southbound streams coalesced into
several gigantic feeding tornadoes with some birds subsequently settling
into huge rafts. Before I left around 6:00 pm there was a immense "dust
cloud" of shearwaters feeding between the CR jetties with a tight raft
or "slick" of shearwaters stretching from the north jetty of the
Columbia as far north as I could see with the spotting scope
(Seaview-Long Beach, WA?). Last August I attempted a count of a flock
of this size off the CR and counted 500,000.
Best regards,
Troy
Astoria, OR