Monthly Archives: December 2014

What’s Washed In – December 30, 2014

Hi COASSTers,

What a great year! Thanks so much to all of you for your hard work in 2014. We really appreciate it, and hope you all enjoying ringing in the new year with family and friends tomorrow.

It’s been a busy few weeks at COASST with many Cassin’s Auklets washing in to the Pacific coast. We’re in the midst of a once-in-a-decade wreck which started in late October in the south and recently (re)pummeled Oregon and Washington. The full story is featured on our blog. If you have any questions on the wreck protocol, just let us know. A big thank you to all of you who have helped to document this event.

Here’s how Laura and Caren identified these Cassin’s Auklets at Roads End:
Webbed (go to Q2)
Completely webbed (go to Q3)
Three toes all webbed (go to Q4)
Foot not huge, tarsus less than 50 mm – Alcids
On AL1, wing chord is less than 15cm, so Small Alcid AND bill is dark with (pale) spot at base.

Let’s take a look at what else has washed in lately:

Lands End (AK) 10/13/14 found by Janet and Carol

Bill: 57 mm
Wing: 40 cm
Tarsus: 77 mm

Alaska foot key (page 34), West Coast foot key (page 22):
Webbed (go to Q2), completely webbed (go to Q3), 4 toes, 3 webbed, 4th free (go to Q5), tarsus not more than 12mm across (go to Q6), thin toe only (go to Q7), swollen heel: Larids (LA1).

Alaska guide (LA1)
Bill hooked (gulls and kittiwakes – flip to LA2), wing with gray-to-white wingtips and primaries with big, central, white spots (aka “windows” – see left wing – the white spots on the ends of the primaries are “fingernails”). Glaucous-winged Gull!

West Coast guide edition 2013 (LA1)
Bill hooked (gulls an kittiwakes – flip to LA2), gray wingtips – Glaucous-winged Gull!

West Coast guide edition 2002 (LA1):
Bill hooked (gulls – flip to LA2), foot color pale (not black), large adult gull. We’ll find it quickly – Glaucous-winged Gull is the only one with gray wingtips.

Lamphere Dunes South (CA) 12/15/14 found by Jim

Bill: 53 mm
Wing: 29 cm
Tarsus: 72 mm

Alaska foot key (page 34), West Coast foot key (page 22):
Webbed (go to Q2), completely webbed (go to Q3), 4 toes, 3 webbed, 4th free (go to Q5) tarsus is more than 12mm across: Loons (LO1). Bill is less than 60mm, so small loon: Pacific Loon or Red-throated Loon. Measurements overlap for both, so let’s turn to the “similar species” section of the Pacific Loon (LO2-LO3). Eye is in the dark plumage of the face, back has few spots. Did you notice those white squares at the shoulders? It’s a Pacific Loon!

Recent storms brought big changes to many beaches, from increased amounts and kinds of marine debris to altered beach zones. Alan and Kathie who survey Graysmarsh noted that the wood zone doubled in size from their November survey and all kinds of stuff was caught – tennis balls, flip-flops, chunks of foam, and bottles. Following his bird survey at Beverly Beach Campground North, Lloyd sent in this photo, explaining that the 1600m long, recently deposited wrackline was littered with tiny pieces of plastic.

Take a look at what Valerie found at Trinidad Lighthouse Beach this month. Lovingly referred to as “octopus goo,” this photo shows the underside of the octopus, where we see the mouth or “beak.” This beak is composed of chitin (just like our fingernails and hair) and is the only hard part of their body. No wonder they can squish though such tiny spaces! Still hung up on whether it’s octopuses, octopi, or octopodes? Check out this fun video from Merriam-Webster.

Have you seen something on your beach you’ve always wondered about? Send us a photo!

Cheers,
Erika, Julia, Jane, Hillary, Charlie, Heidi, Jenn, and the COASST Interns

Cassin’s Auklet Wreck

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Cassin’s Auklet wreck data, October 1 – November 21, 2014.

Beginning in late October and continuing through mid November, we've witnessed an uptick in Cassin's Auklets. In collaboration with West Coast beached bird partners Beach Watch (San Francisco - GFNMS) and BeachCOMBERS (Monterey Bay - MBNMS), and British Columbia Beached Bird Survey we know this event extends from Washington State south to Monterey Bay. The highest per kilometer counts occurred in Oregon North (30 Cassin's Auklets per kilometer at McPhillips Beach in Tillamook County). 

Why Cassin's, why now? Cassin's Auklet colonies in British Columbia (75.9% of the North American population) fared well this season with high (the highest?) reproductive output recorded from decades of monitoring. Lots of young-of-the-year out in the Pacific this year! Ocean conditions, may (though we don't have evidence yet) be deteriorating more than normal. Storm activity November 15/16 preceded a wave of beaching - not unusual - the combination of young birds and difficult conditions predictably lead to wrecks, like those we see most years, at the end of a good Common Murre breeding season.

Just two of the 179 birds Patty counted on 12/23 near Neskowin, OR.

Just two of the 179 birds Patty counted on December 23 near Neskowin, OR.

UPDATE: A new wave of Cassin's Auklets hit the coast of Washington and Oregon beginning Sunday, December 21 with up to 100/km on some beaches. These small, fist-sized birds have a dark bill (pale spot at base), dark back and wings, white belly. Fresh specimens show blue-ish feet (3 webbed toes, no hind toe).

What’s Washed In – December 15, 2014

What’s Washed In – December 3, 2014

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Hi COASSTers,

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. Thank you for all of your data over the long weekend and, of course, for all of your staged “turkey on the beach” photos too!

It was great to see some of you at the Olympia and Port Angeles (WA) classroom refresher trainings on the 21st and 22nd. Erika and Heidi really enjoyed it!

Thank you to all of you for hard work, especially during these colder months. It is very appreciated.

Let’s take a look at What’s Washed In recently:

Steamboat Rock (CA) 11/15/14 found by Gene and Keith

Wing: 31 cm
Tarsus: 55 mm

Alaska wing key (page 44):
Choose gray (go to Q25), gray wingtips with no windows or fingernails: Northern Fulmar, wahoo!

West Coast wing key (page 33):
Choose gray (go to Q10), gray, same as mantle (go to Q11), uniformly gray: Northern Fulmar – excellent!

West Coast wing table (page 32)
Choose row = large (wing chord 29-32cm) and column “dark upperwing” – no pale/white underwing linings, no primaries outercut. We’re left with:
Northern Fulmar (TN3)
American Crow (PE1)
Parasitic Jaeger (LA25)
Long-tailed Jaeger (LA31)

The jaegers are out – the tarsus of this bird is too long. Crows have “completely black plumage” so we’ll opt for Northern Fulmar.

Natural history notes: Peak beaching for Northern Fulmars in Alaska (where they breed) is July/August. Along the West Coast (where they spend the winter) November/December can be particularly high. In December 2003, COASST participants in Oregon North found an average of 11 fulmars per kilometer!

Wayside Beach (OR) 11/12/14 found by Janis and Jody

Bill: 65 mm
Wing: 18.5 cm
Tarsus: 74 mm

Alaska foot key (page 34), West Coast foot key (page 22):
Lobed (go to Q14), large foot, single lobes, tarsus>50mm: Grebes.

Alaska participants – stop here – this bird is found farther south.
West Coast guide GR1 – wing chord > 18cm, so we’re down to Clark’s Grebe (GR1), Western Grebe (GR1) or Red-necked Grebe (GR4). RNGR has a much tinier bill and between the CLGR and WEGR, the Western Grebe is the one with the eye surrounded by dark facial plumage.

Natural history notes: Western Grebes also peak on the West Coast a tad later in December/January. Like scoters and loons, Western Grebes breed along lakes in the interior and migrate to the coast during the winter. Concern continues about declining numbers of Western Grebes in Puget Sound – this paper uses Christmas Bird Count data (citizen science!) to look at shifting distributions of Western Grebes along the West Coast.

How often are land based vehicles found as marine debris? Only once that we know about on a COASST survey. Marine debris pilot testers Paul and Louise conducted their first survey on 11/13/2014 and found encountered this rusted van on Bishop Beach West. A little ways down the beach, the radiator fan was in their medium debris sample.

Take a look at this gumboot chiton that washed in near Cape Mendocino. This species is the largest of all chitons, growing up to 14 inches in length and weighing over 4.4 pounds! Gumboot chitons inhabit rocky coastlines from California to Alaska, across the Aleutian Islands and south to Japan. What’s unique about this species is that the 8 plates on their body are hidden by their reddish-brown skin, or girdle. The underside is bright orange or yellow, consisting mainly of a large foot. They also have a retractable radula with rows of teeth to help them consume marine vegetation, such as sea lettuce and kelp.

Seen something on the beach you’ve always wondered about? Send us a photo!