Subject: [Tweeters] re: Tufted Puffin off Lopez Island
Date: Sep 6 01:25:22 2010
From: vogelfreund at comcast.net - vogelfreund at comcast.net


As for maps, I bought a nautical map for that area; one used by boaters. I assume that Colville Island must have some turf build up for Puffins to burrow into. The island is little more than a tall rock otherwise. It must be safe from mammalian predators, even tho it is just offshore from Lopez Island. Mink are a threat to seabirds. They swim in salt water and wreak havock to nesting birds. Chuckanut Island with its Black Oystercatchers is a case in point.

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Emily Runnells" <esrunnells at gmail.com>
To: "Scott Downes" <downess at charter.net>, contopus at telus.net, vogelfreund at comcast.net
Sent: Saturday, September 4, 2010 1:54:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] re: Tufted Puffin off Lopez Island


Hi Wayne, Scott, and Phil,

Though I am not on Lopez Is. and don't know precisely where Colville Island is, I have spent my entire summer doing bird observations on the south end of San Juan Island for my master's research. One of my observation sites looks out over Cattle Pass, towards the south end of Lopez. From June 10th through now, we have seen only occasional sightings of Tufted Puffins, and only flying past rather than on the water foraging. Just now we are starting to see a few birds on the water.

Hope that information is helpful!

Emily Runnells
Graduate Student
University of Washington
School of Aquatic and Fishery Science

On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 1:04 PM, Scott Downes < downess at charter.net > wrote:




Back in the summer of 1998 I was stationed on Lopez Island for several weeks doing some bat research. Since bats don't do too much during the daylight hours I had some time to bird. I regularly saw Tufted Puffins (usually only 1-3 birds) in the waters off of Pt. Colville on the south end of the island. This is the nearest area on land to Colville Island and if they weren't breeding there, they were certainly using the area for loafing and foraging.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA
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