[obol] [Fwd: Census Count: Clatsop Beaches, Clatsop County, Oregon on March 21, 2007]

[david tracy]

Any speculation on what is going on?  Is there any chance the large  
(~2600km^2) dead zone off the Oregon this past summer/fall is  
factoring in to the Rhinoceros Auklets and Puffin die-offs?  What  
else is going on out there?  Any of our oceanographic/pelagic  
specialists or care to weigh in?

Why are these species disproportionately affected vs. say Common  
Murres or Murrelets (i.e. Marbled & Ancient)?  It seems that since  
fulmars, gulls, cormorants, & storm-petrels are all being found,  
there are various feeding specialists represented, just they occur in  
much smaller numbers relative to the Rhino Auklets and Puffins.  Its  
like every other Horned  Puffin that finds itself off the coast is  
washed up compared to a minute fraction of the other pelagic species.

Dave




david tracy
davect at bendnet.com

----Original Message----


Subject: [Fwd: Census Count: Clatsop Beaches, Clatsop County, Oregon  
on March 21, 2007]
From: David Bailey <baileydc AT pdx.edu>
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2007 01:46:05 -0700
The high tides with the new moon are really bringing in the wrecked
birds. Based on my numbers, I am guess there are thousands of PUFFINS
including RHINOCEROS AUKLETS starving to death this winter/springs.
Something with the winds and water are not producing the conditions
necessary for plankton growth and therefore the higher order consumers
are not fairing as well as they often do. Anyway, that is my hyposthesis
based on the eveidence I have noted.

David

David C. Bailey
Seaside, Oegon.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Census Count: Clatsop Beaches, Clatsop County, Oregon on March
21, 2007
Date: 	Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:11:43 GMT
From: 	baileydc AT pdx.edu
To: 	baileydc AT pdx.edu



This report was mailed for David C. Bailey by http://birdnotes.net

Date: March 21, 2007
Location: Clatsop Beaches, Clatsop County, Oregon

Wind direction: SW
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 70%
Precipitation: drizzle

Auto survey from Gearhart to the wreck of the Peter Iredale. All
birds were from the wet line. Tides have been the highest for the
month. Fresh birds were the majority, including some still in rigor.
No live Alcids or other seabirds other than typical gulls were seen.

All intact birds appeared to be emaciated. I suspect that something
less than optimal is going on with the nutrients required for
plankton growth this late winter/early spring which is affected the
higher level consumers all the way up to puffins.


Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Northern Fulmar                     8
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel            2
Brandt's Cormorant                  1
Glaucous-winged x Western Gull      5
Black-legged Kittiwake              2
Common Murre                        7
Cassin's Auklet                     1
Rhinoceros Auklet                 101 [1]
Horned Puffin                      47 [2]
Tufted Puffin                      18 [3]

Footnotes:

[1]  Rhinoceros Auklet: two still in rigor
[2]  Horned Puffin: two in rigor
[3]  Tufted Puffin: a couple immature birds with smaller bills than
      the adults.

Total number of species seen: 10




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