Monthly Archives: October 2013

What’s Washed In – 10/31/13

Fall is here and the Common Murres are hitting the beach. We’ve been receiving lots of surveys with lots birds! This is nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year, but you should expect longer and “birdier” surveys than your usual. Make sure to start early and bring a snack. Now is also a good time to check your cable tie supply to see if you’re running low of any color.

Here’s a look at what’s washed in over the last few weeks:

A Laysan Albatross found by Kathy on the South Coast (WA). Those three-webbed toes and huge foot (tarsus >75mm) point us to the Tubenose: Albatross family. From here we have three species to consider: Black-footed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, and Short-tailed Albatross. The bill length is WAY smaller than a STAL (130-140mm), and the pale bill and feet rule out BFAL, we’re left with the Laysan Albatross.

A Green-winged Teal found by Susie and Bill in Oregon North – time for some more wing practice!

Using the wing table, at 17cm, the wing falls into the tiny (wing chord <18cm) row but because it’s right on the edge, let’s also consider small (18-20cm) row. That area of contrasting color in the secondaries puts us in the Patch/Speculum group, giving us four options in the two rows; BUFF (WF15), HOGR (GR6), PIGU (AL10) or GWTE (WF7). Bufflehead, Horned Grebe and Pigeon Guillemot have a white patch on the upperwing – not a match. But the green and black speculum with buffy bar in front and white behind is a perfect match for the Green-winged Teal.

Using the west coast wing key, we’d select “secondaries contrasting and dark” for the first question sending us to Q18. Here, we’d select “green, w/ tan strip above and white below.” With a wing chord of 17 cm, we have a Green-winged Teal.

Using the Alaska wing key, we’d select “w/ light or dark speculum and/or one or more white patches” sending us to Q17. Here, we’d choose “dark speculum, no patch” leading to Q24. The “green w/buffy stripe above and white below” points us to the Green-winged Teal (a little short for Alaska birds, but that’s okay – this find is from Oregon).

A Mottled Petrel found by Sue and Scott on the North Coast. You won’t find a species page on this bird in the COASST field guides, but you can still get pretty far on the ID. The three webbed toes with a small fourth toe and flat heel (not quite visible in the photo) would take you to the Tubenoses:Petrels family.

Using the west coast guide, a wing chord of 25cm puts this in the True Petrels group. From here, we consider the bill shape, tarsus, and bill color: thick and short (bill), round (tarsus), and black (bill color) – group: Gadlfy Petrels. With this guide, we can’t get any more specific than the subgroup of Gadfly Petrels.

Using the Alaska guide, a wing chord of 25cm puts drops us into the True Petrels group. Bill color is dark, underiwng is white, with “dark stripe from wrist to wingpit.” Yep – Mottled Petrel!

A gas cylinder found by Phil in the San Juans. Remember, if you find an item like this, do not touch or attempt to move. These items should be reported to the National Response Center by calling 1-800-424-8802 or visiting their website or to local law enforcement.

Human, Dog and Vehicle Data: Tracks and Counts

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Of the many things we save for last – doing the laundry, getting milk on the way home, packing a toothbrush – COASST’s human/dog and vehicle data is the same: last, but important.

Wide or narrow beaches, human/dog and vehicle counts are saved for last. Why? In some areas, human presence truly crowds the beaches – anyone who has visited the Oregon coast in July knows just how crazy it can get. In order not to double count, humans, dogs and vehicles are counted only on the return leg from the turnaround point back to the start.

—> Helpful hints: count humans, dogs and vehicles as you pass, use a tally system for large numbers.

In COASST, definitions count! There’s a definition of what counts as a “bird” and what counts as the “beach.” Not surprisingly, humans, dogs and vehicles have definitions too, to make sure we’re all counting the same things in the same way.

Six humans in view at Hobuck Beach (baby in carrier doesn’t count, two are way down the beach)

Humans: Homo sapiens, feet touching beach

Babes in arms? – no
People in vehicles? – no, didn’t your mom tell you not to look in peoples’ windows?
People riding horses? – no
Yourself or your tracks? – no

COASSTers Amy, Gary, and Lauren don’t count their dog Enzo or his tracks since his part of their team.

Dogs: domesticated canines, leashed or not, paws touching beach

Foxes or coyotes? – no, not a pet
Cougars? – no (also, that’s a cat)
Toy dogs in purses? – no, paws must touch the beach
Your own dog or its tracks? – no

Tracks = yes for vehicles, humans and dogs on this survey.

Tracks = yes for cars/trucks, humans, and dogs on this beach.

Cars/Trucks: fuel-powered engine, 4 wheels, total weight approx. 1,815kgs (5,000lbs), on beach (not in parking lot, for instance).

Over beach on ferry ramp? – no
In parking lot above dunes? – no
On the boat launch? – yes, if the launch is part of your beach

ATVs: fuel-powered engine, 2-4 wheels, total weight approx. 180kg (500lbs), on beach (not in dunes, for instance)

In the dunes? – no, not part of the COASST beach
Motorbikes? – yes, count as ATVs
Bikes? – no, pedal power!

Three horses (note: human riders aren’t counted in the human data) at Long Beach North.

Horses: domesticated ungulate, hooves touching beach

Sheep, goats or llama? – no
Deer, elk, or moose? – no
Rocking horse? – no, but this could count as marine debris

Since its inception COASST has documented 241,542 humans, 43,389 dogs, and 21,797 vehicles: one of the richest sources of local-to-regional estimates of beach use in all seasons. COASST data tell us about beach use that day (tracks=y) and how many people are out (human/dog/vehicle count) during the survey. They also let us evaluate how the carcass deposition index may change as a function of human visitation.

So great work, COASSTers!

COASST Field Trips

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On October 5th and 6th, the COASST interns and the University of Washington’s marine biology class drove to Ocean Shores, WA for a day of beached bird surveys. The interns and students learned the COASST survey protocol and got lots of practice identifying and tagging beached birds. The bird identification started off slow but the teams were quick to pick up the new skills as the day went on. By the end, they were identifying, recording data, and tagging birds with ease.

Marine biology students identifying and tagging a beached bird.

Eleven beaches were surveyed over the two days. Common Murres were by far the most abundant bird found. They were seen in breeding, non-breeding, and molting plumages which added an extra challenge for these new surveyors. Other commonly found birds included, Sooty Shearwaters and large immature gulls.

The teams also came across some rare finds. At South Chance, a beached yellow shafted Northern Flicker was spotted. It can be identified by the vibrant yellows found in the wings. Another team happened upon a skate egg casing, with small embryos inside. Not a bird, but a very cool thing to find!

Overall it was a great weekend. The weather was beautiful, with no rain, making it an enjoyable learning experience for all.

A yellow shafted Northern Flicker found on South Chance

This skate egg casing was found during one of the surveys

High school students return tsunami boat to Japan

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The west coast of the United States has been the final resting place for much of the wreckage that left Japan on March 11, 2011, after a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami rocked its shores. One such relic of the tragedy is a small fishing boat belonging to a Japanese high school in Rikuzentakata that washed ashore in Crescent City, California this past April. This boat survived an incredible journey across the planet’s largest ocean.

Students from Crescent City’s Del Monte High School made it their mission to return the boat to Japan free of barnacles and full of compassion. These students understand the devastation a tsunami can cause, as they too were impacted by the event. The earthquake that created the Japanese tsunami also caused a tsunami that badly damaged Crescent City’s harbor. The Del Monte students filmed a video that shows the connection these two cities share. They sent the video with the vessel as a reminder to the students in Rikusentakata that they have not been forgotten and that a midst the unthinkable devastation and loss, there can be small but meaningful steps toward healing. After two years awash at sea, the boat departed Oakland for Japan on September 19^th, to be reunited with its rightful owners at last.

Students from Del Norte High School return the boat to Japan with compassion.

Click here to learn more about this project and see the student’s film.

Salmon in the Wrack

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Salmon wrack. Bottom left? Spawned-out sockeye salmon, some pinks mixed into the pile, perhaps on a beach bordering Resurrection Bay, Alaska.

On page S-11 of the COASST protocol, the wrack line is defined as “where floating materials – seaweed, carcasses, trash, and other debris – were recently deposited during the most recent receding tide(s).”

Today we’re sharing a photo from Tasha and Sadie, who survey Tonsina Beach, in Seward. You don’t have to look too closely to tell this photo came from Alaska – that’s right, this wrack is filled with salmon, sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to be specific (thanks Tom Q, UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, for the ID help!). Some pink salmon, perhaps are mixed in.

Follow that with another pic, this one from Sitka, where Rebecca and Brad share Seamart to Sandy beach. All pink salmon here, mixed with sugar kelp. You can tell by the COASST ruler – these fish aren’t tiny!

All pink salmon in this photo, on a beach bordering Sitka Sound.

Good News for Marbled Murrelets

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Earlier this month a federal judge ruled that Marbled Murrelets would remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, despite a movement by the timber industry to remove these protections and expand logging activities in coastal forests. This has been the fourth failed attempt made by the timber industries in the Pacific Northwest to eliminate protection for Marbled Murrelet habitat. In addition, the court ruled that the old growth forest areas where these birds nest will remain protected from deforestation for the next three years. The Marbled Murrelet has been listed as threatened by the Endangered Species Act since 1992.

Old growth forests are used by the Marbled Murrelets for nesting and raising their young, making the existence of the habitat critical for murrelet survival. These small Alcids create nests high on the branches of inland old growth trees. At night, they fly to the coast to fish and hunt food for their nestlings: a unique nesting behavior makes Marbled Murrelets especially vulnerable.

For more information, on this story can be found here.

What’s Washed In – 10/01/13

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Hope your week is off to a great start. With the fall weather upon us, now is a great time to check your COASST supplies and make sure you have plenty of rite-in-the-rain data sheets. Looks like there will be lots of rain in the future. We are lucky to have such a great group of volunteers who face the cold and rain to collect these valuable data. Here’s a look at a few of the many things found along our coastline in the last few weeks.

A Short-tailed Shearwater found by Ken in the Chukchi. Three webbed toes with a 4^th minute (tiny) toe and flat heel puts this bird in the Tubenose: Petrels family. And a wing chord over 20 centimeters let’s us know it’s not a Storm-petrel.

Using Beached Birds-Alaska, the dark bill points us to either Short-tailed Shearwater (TN5) or Sooty Shearwater (TN7). STSH generally have gray-to-brown underwings and a shorter bill, whereas SOSH have white-to-pale underwings and a longer bill. With a bill of 31cm, this is definitely a Short-tailed Shearwater.

Using Beached Birds, look at the bill shape and tarsus. A thin and long bill and flat tarsus lead us to the shearwaters. We have three to choose from: Sooty Shearwater (TN5), Short-tailed Shearwater (TN7), or Pink-footed (TN15). We can rule out Pink-footed: mostly pale bill, white throat, belly, and underwing linings. With underwings that are more gray than white and a shorter (29-34mm) bill, this is a Short-tailed Shearwater.

Great Blue Heron feet found by Stanley and Resha in the South Coast of Washington. Time for some practice with the foot key. Free toes send us to Q9. Three toes in front, one in the back sends us to Q10. None of the toes are fused – go to Q11. With a tarsus over 150 mm, four toes of the same length, and a comb-like nail on the middle toe, we’re looking at a wader. You’ll notice the “waders” label is in italics. This means Wader species are not part of Beached Birds, so we can’t go any further – writing “Waders” on your data sheet is just fine.

An owl found by Cathleen and Daphne in the San Juans. Here’s another chance to practice with the foot key. This foot follows the same path through the guide as the wader, except a tarsus less than 150 mm will send us to Q12. With multiple claws and a feathered tarsus we’re looking at a Land Bird: Owl. Again this label is in italics: no species profiles of owls are included in Beached Birds.

A Northern Pintail found by Kathy and Lyn on the South Coast of Washington. Now for some practice with just a wing!If you are using the wing table, at 25.5cm this wing falls in the Med-Lg category. That iridescent stripe in the secondaries is called a speculum, giving us four options; Northern Pintail (WF9), Mallard (WF11), White Winged Scoter (WF3), King Eider (WF21). Out of these birds, the only one has a tan-dark-white speculum pattern, from leading to trailing edge: Northern Pintail, male.If you are using the west coast wing key, select secondaries contrasting and dark sending you to Q18. Then choose tan stripe above and white below secondaries. A measurement of 25.5cm is well above the range for Green-winged Teal.If you are using the Alaska wing key, select light or dark speculum and/or one or more white patches taking you to Q17. Here choose dark speculum, no patch leading to Q24. Speculum with buffy stripe above and white below gives you a Northern Pintail, male.

A blue drum found by Heather in Oregon. Drums like this one, found on the beach, can sometimes contain hazardous chemicals. If you find an item like this, do not touch or attempt to move. These items should be reported to the National Response Center by calling 1-800-424-8802 or visiting their website.

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Monthly Archives: October 2013

What’s Washed In – 10/31/13

Human, Dog and Vehicle Data: Tracks and Counts

COASST Field Trips

High school students return tsunami boat to Japan

Salmon in the Wrack

Good News for Marbled Murrelets

What’s Washed In – 10/01/13