[obol] Yaquina Head Notes of Interest

[Cindy Ashy]

Mystery Sound:

Yesterday between astronomical twilight and sunrise, I heard several times what
sounded like a Tufted Puffin(s) on the south side. The sounds seemed to be
eminating from the cliff side that is not viewable from tidepool deck because
of the curvature of the cliff and only some of it is visable from the walkway
further west. I didn't hear it anymore after sunrise. I am not a puffin expert
but the sound was very similar to the interpretive sign sound of the puffin
behind the lighthouse (which I've heard zillions of times). I've since listened
to other sound files and if it wasn't a puffin it was something that sounds
very similar.It definitely was not one of the common birds there. Also, this is
an area where historically a few puffins did nest which raises my level of
interest. Rhinocerous Auklets nested there in the distant past as well. Anyway,
it an interesting mystery I'd like to solve. I will have an opportunity to
check the cliff out more throughly soon. If anyone sees a puffin at Yaquina
Head or has another idea about what this sound could have been, please either
post it to OBOL and/or email me directly.

Raptors:

Eagles have been staking out the area behind the lighthouse. One day recently 3
immature eagles staked out the area for more than half a day...one in the tree
and two on Colony Rock. After more than a dozen tries they couldn't capture a
murre.

I have observed one adult eagle successfully nabbing a murre out of the water.

Yesterday, an adult eagle came in maybe an hour after sunset and sat in the
trees....and then a Peregrine Falcon came and sat on Lion's Head at the same
time. Although the rafts of murres had grown into 10's of 1000's and had gotten
very dense, noisy, and close to the rocks...and they were flying very close
above the rocks and on the inland side of the rocks...all the signs they were
about to fill the rocks...they never did and by early afternoon, about 80% were
completely gone.

Most of the time in the past when I've seen an eagle nab a murre it heads off
toward the NE (nest) without stopping. However, so far this year they seem to
want to stop on Pinnacle Rock or in the trees to pick the feathers off the
chest before heading to the NE.

Other Notes:

A pair of Common Loons in breeding plumage has been hanging out between Lions
Head and the southwest bluff. I have seen single ones off the rocks behind the
lighthouse several times (maybe the same one repeatedly).

Twice I've seen a Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage behind the lighthouse
(NE).

Someone reported a Long-tailed Duck behind the lighthouse to me but I did not
see it myself....I asked and there was no tail.

I got quite a kick out of a certain wildlife refuge biologist trying to find a
Thick-billed Murre amoung the many thousands of Common Murres on the water one
day....I guess it's contagious since he has me looking for them now.

The Brant's Cormorants are still not very actively courting and definitely
haven't scoped out any nesting spots. I remember last year someone telling me
there were far fewer Brant's Cormorants nesting than in previous years.

I counted over 200 Pigeon Guillemots in the water behind the lighthouse one day
and at low tide saw several of them sitting on a low flat-topped rock which I
found a little odd since most of them head straight for the steep cliff
crevices when they get out of the water. I saw about 80 between Seal Island and
South Rocks but never observed any of these get on the rocks.

I've been trying to figure out if the murres pair in the water or after they
land on the rock....seems they do so in the water..
I've been watching for courtship of murres in the rafts and I have definitely
seen some, including once the necking thing as they were bopping up and down in
the surf...quite a feat. I've tried to see if there is a pattern...courtship
only in dense rafts, close to the rock, far from the rock, only on edges,
etc...basically how are they finding each other...it's just amazing to think
about how they find the same mate each year.
Then I've been trying to figure out if they are "mapping" themselves out in
these dense rafts before they land on the rocks.

Then the question that comes up almost every day by someone...why are they
spending all that energy flying in those figure eights? which is a really good
question, especially considering how labored their flights are. Any guesses?
I'm beginning to think it is nuptial flights as I have seen several times
patches of murres engaged in courtship take flight while surrounding patches
stay on the water.

I've read about "fencing" and I've observed this already between non-breeding
murres in rafts.

Black Oystercatchers seem to engage in continuous courtship calls for about 30
minutes before sunrise and about 30 minutes after sunset....at least the pairs
at Yaquina Head.

Cindy Ashy


 
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