Subject: [Tweeters] Tufted Puffins at Cape Flattery
Date: Jun 16 21:01:35 2010
From: Michael Schrimpf - schrimpf at u.washington.edu


Hi Lonnie,

I'm a graduate student at the UW, and I do research on Tatoosh Island with
Dr. Julia Parrish. I haven't been out to Tatoosh this season, but the
numbers you mention all sound about right for this time of year. Bald Eagle
numbers have increasing dramatically since DDT was banned, and they do have
an effect on the breeding success of many species. In most years,
however, the surface nesters still manage to breed successfully.

The Common Murres mostly nest on the other side of the island, both on a
series of cliff ledges and on the tops of the cliffs, underneath the
salmonberry plants at the edge. The raft you saw is usually present all
summer long, and many of those birds are likely breeding (or at least
attempting to breed) on the island. The murres are probably the species
most affected by the eagles, but last year they successfully fledged plenty
of chicks (we'll see what happens this year).

The Tufted Puffins do breed on the island, but in much smaller numbers than
most other species. Their burrows are scattered around the island rim, but
most of them are on the far side.

There are also plenty of nocturnally active burrow nesters on the
island that you wouldn't have seen, including lots of Rhinoceros Auklets
and Leach's Storm-petrels, as well as smaller numbers of Fork-tailed
Storm-petrels and Cassin's Auklets.

Tatoosh is certainly a diverse place, and not just for birds - there has
been lots of famous research done on the intertidal communities on the
island, too. I count myself lucky to have experienced it up close.

Thanks for posting your sightings. One question: were the Tufted Puffins
all flying or on the water, or did you see them perched on the island?

Cheers,
Michael Schrimpf
Seattle

On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 6:53 PM, <wheelermombi at comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi Tweeters,
>
>
>
> I made the looong drive out to Cape Flattery today. The weather there was
> perfect: sunny, slight breeze, upper 50s. Species spotted include 3 or 4
> TUFTED PUFFINS (1 pair and either a lone individual at 2 locations or 2
> separate individuals); a huge raft of COMMON MURRES at the edge of scoping
> range to the left of Tatoosh Island and smaller numbers in closer, lots of
> PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, several PELAGIC CORMORANTS, 1
> PEREGRINE FALCON, and more BALD EAGLES than crows. In fact, 4 of the eagles
> were on Tatoosh Island and the only nesting birds that I saw (from
> 11:00-1:00 or so) were gulls. Have most of the other species been
> eliminated by nesting predation from the eagles?
>
>
>
>
> On the drive up HWY 101, I went to the top on Mt. Wheeler (about 6:30 in
> the morning). It was dead quiet; not even the usual Gray Jays. On the way
> down, I pulled over fairly frequently and managed to see/hear several common
> species for the area, including some nice looks at NASHVILLE WARBLERS, which
> I seem to be seeing everywhere this spring. If anyone knows of a spell to
> turn one of them into a MacGillivray's, please pass it on to me. I did hear
> a N. PYGMY-OWL about halfway down the mountain.
>
>
>
> Good birding,
>
>
>
> Lonnie Somer
>
> Olympia, WA
>
> wheelermombi at comcast.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
>


--
Michael Schrimpf
Graduate Student
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
University of Washington
Box 355020
Seattle, WA 98195-5020
Tel: 206-221-6904
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