I noticed, looking out over the middle basin of Capitol Lake from I-5, the
impressive numbers of waterfowl on the lake this year. It seems early for
such numbers. Capitol Lake has had an extensive plant bloom this year.
Apparently, the Eurasian milfoil of four years ago has not returned but the
native pondweeds have had an excellent year and green algae has grown on the
substrate provided by the pondweed. When Eurasion milfoil was controlled
using triclopyr, it appeared as though winter waterfowl numbers may have
dropped, perhaps due to loss of food in the form of plants, snails, various
other invertebrates. This new bloom of aquatic plants will provide another
opportunity to see how aquatic plant abundance might be affecting numbers
and species diversity of waterfowl on the lake. Keith Brady has been keeping
records for decades and his dataset, in combination with records on algal
blooms, could potentially provide some useful conclusions on the subject. In
many ways, it seems like a "no brainer" that waterfowl numbers and species
diversity are closely linked to the food supply that is based on summer
plant biomass but I remember being challenged about there being any
relationship by a consultant for Thurston County who claimed there wasn't a
relationship because the aquatic plants died back in the winter when the
waterfowl were present.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Hicks" <phicks at accessgrace.org>
To: ", tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Cc: "Shelmerdine, Bill" <georn1 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2008 9:03 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] Heerman's Gulls in Olympia 10/18


> Tweets,
> Saturday 5pm two HEERMAN'S GULLS were present among an assortment of gulls
> at the KGY radio station (north of East Bay Marina and next to the new
> Anthony's Restaurant II). One adult and one 2nd winter bird. Also a
> possible THAYER'S GULL, but I'm lousy with gulls. This bird could hardly
> have looked more like Sibley's illustration of a non-breeding adult.
> Capitol Lake held a good variety of ducks and more PBGrebes than I ever
> remember. The real spectacle was the blazing orange and yellow of turning
> maple leaves in the setting sunlight mirrored on the shadowed lake
> surface. Too bad I didn't have a camera! Good birding!
> --Paul Hicks / Tenino, s. Thurston Co / phicks AT accessgrace.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>