Following was sent out by David Bailey yesterday from a vehicle
survey of Clatsop Beach (about 15km). I drove the beach the day
prior and found only 4 birds total, all species combined.

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This report was mailed for David C. Bailey by http://birdnotes.net

Date: March 20, 2007
Location: Clatsop Beaches, Clatsop County, Oregon

Wind direction: SW
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 70%
Precipitation: drizzle

Auto survey from Gearhart to the wreck of the Peter Iredale. All
birds were from the wet line. Tides have been the highest for the
month. Fresh birds were the majority, including some still in rigor.
No live Alcids or other seabirds other than typical gulls were seen.

All intact birds appeared to be emaciated. I suspect that something
less than optimal is going on with the nutrients required for
plankton growth this late winter/early spring which is affected the
higher level consumers all the way up to puffins.


Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Northern Fulmar 8
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 2
Brandt's Cormorant 1
Glaucous-winged x Western Gull 5
Black-legged Kittiwake 2
Common Murre 7
Cassin's Auklet 1
Rhinoceros Auklet 101 [1]
Horned Puffin 47 [2]
Tufted Puffin 18 [3]

Footnotes:

[1] Rhinoceros Auklet: two still in rigor
[2] Horned Puffin: two in rigor
[3] Tufted Puffin: a couple immature birds with smaller bills than
the adults

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

Dusty of Book of the Month: _The Hawks of North America_
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/004483.html