Subject: [Tweeters] Alcids in Washington
Date: Mon Jul 13 21:59:07 PDT 2020
From: Brad Waggoner - wagtail24 at gmail.com

Hi Mike, Gary, Bob and All,

Though I don't do any formal surveying of alcids in northern Puget
Sound, I might be able to add a little local north Puget Sound
perspective to further Bob's excellent and informative alcid survey
results in the Protection Island Aquatic Reserve of the Strait. I
sea-watch quite frequently off of Point no Point (PNP) and alcids just
happen to provide a great deal of the waterbird activity for me.

Puffins - Mike, since I have yet to record a Puffin (of either species)
off of PNP or anywhere south of Admiralty Inlet in many years of
looking, I will go with "they are local and uncommon" as to your
question as to whether they influx as with other alcids. That is not to
say that they are absent from showing up in the Puget Sound as a few do
seemingly every year, but I wouldn't really label these few as some sort
of expected "influx".

Marbled Murrelets - PNP just happens to be one of those very good
"local" places to observe Marbled Murrelets during the summer months. I
really expect to tally anywhere from 10 to 20+ during decent viewing
conditions from the lighthouse at the point. Spots along the north Hood
Canal where I bird often also normally produce Marbled Murrelets on a
regular basis as well. I can only speculate that the feeding conditions
in these north Puget Sound spots make it worth while to fly a fair
distance from their old growth breeding trees.

Rhinos - It was interesting to have Bob say that this was one of his
best survey years for Rhinos in his Preserve area. I have felt that I
have been seeing lower numbers heading into feed as in past summers. I
probably could get some of my eBird numbers to back this up, but it does
really seem they were more plentiful in recent summers. Rhinos finding
food closer to Protection Island sounds like a very reasonable theory to me.

Common Murres - Low time of year for this species in Puget Sound as
well. I do feel lucky to see a lone Common Murre or two in any June and
most of July sea-watching effort off of PNP. However, that changes quite
dramatically in August and September. I have convinced myself given
seeing them seemingly flightless at this time of year, that they move
into the central Puget Sound to molt flight feathers. They can be in
large rafts numbering in the few hundreds and with multiple rafts this
can mean numbers in the few thousands. Waters off of Jeff Head in
central Puget Sound seem a typical location for them during that fall event.

Commentary on Ancient Murrelets and Cassin's Auklets, at least as to
their expected presence and seasonal appearance in Puget Sound can be
saved for the next time.

Cheers and good birding,

Brad Waggoner


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