Category Archives: Uncategorized

What’s Washed In – May 18, 2015

Hi COASSTers,

Thank you for all of your help this month! We’ve really enjoyed seeing your photos and datasheets and hope your summer is getting off to a great start.

A big welcome to our new Alaska COASSTers. We just wrapped up a great series of Beached Bird trainings in Kodiak, Homer, Seward, Yakutat, and Sitka. We’re looking forward to bolstering our data collection in these areas.

As you get ready for your next survey, take a peak at your survey kit and let us know if you need any more datasheets, cable ties, chalk, etc. We’re happy to send supplies out to you right away.

Let’s take a look at what’s washed in recently:

Lands End (AK) 02/22/15 found by Carol and Janet

Wing: 19 cm
Tarsus: 35 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose 3 toes: all webbed (go to Q4), choose tarsus less than 50mm – Stop: ALCIDS.

Alaska Guide
On AL1, select wing chord greater than 15cm, Large Alcids. Since we don’t have a head, it could be any of the following: AL3, AL5, AL7, AL9, AL11, AL13. White underwing lining and white-tipped secondaries: must be a murre – Common Murre or Thick-billed Murre – AL3 or AL5.

West Coast Guide
On AL1, select wing chord greater than 15cm, Large Alcids. From there, choose between AL2, AL6, AL10 or AL12. Only one of these has a white underwing lining and white-tipped secondaries – Common Murre (since this bird was found in Alaska, could also be the similar species: Thick-billed Murre).

Tsoo Yess North (WA) 1/25/15 found by Janet, Sally, Gail, Jim, and guest

Bill: 65 mm
Wing: 27 cm
Tarsus: 65 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose 4 toes: all webbed – Stop: POUCHBILLS.

Alaska Guide
On PB1, select wing chord less than 35cm – cormorant. The only one with a pale chin is rare in Alaska: Brandt’s Cormorant.

West Coast Guide
On PB1, select hooked bill with colored throat pouch, bill less than 100mm (10cm). Choose between PB2, PB4, PB6. Only one has a dark bill with a tan chin – Brandt’s Cormorant – correct!

COASST is excited to have a team of multilingual students who have volunteered to help with debris identification and translation. Beginning this week, we’ll be sharing some of their discoveries from COASSTer photos.
Here we have a container found by Keith on Oregon Mile 286. The writing in Japanese states “Oofunato Fish Market”. Japanese Studies major Devin reports that “Oofunato is a city in Iwate prefecture, east of Mt. Hikami and northeast of Kesennuma. As Iwate is a neighboring prefecture of Miyagi, the home of Sendai, it is possible that this is tsunami debris, or it is possibly just accidental litter from the Oofunato Fish Market.”

Take a look at this North American River Otter that Judy, Dave, and Karen found a few weeks ago at Diamond Point North in Washington. How can we tell the difference between sea otters and river otters? Check out the feet! Sea otters have paws in front and flippers in back, whereas river otters have paws in the front and back, as shown here.

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

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

What’s Washed In – April 28, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,

Hope you’re all enjoying nice weather on the beach this month. We’ve had a great few weeks at COASST with refresher trainings in Westport and Long Beach, WA. Thanks to those of you who came out to join us. It was great to see you!

For those of you in Alaska, we’re headed your way! Over the next 2 weeks, we’ll be in Kodiak, Homer, Seward, Yakutat, and Sitka for COASST trainings. In Sitka, Julia (COASST Executive Director) will also give a talk on “The Natural History of Dead Birds” as part of the Natural History Seminar Series coordinated by the University of Alaska Southeast and the Sitka Sound Science Center.

As we approach the end of the month, if you have any datasheets or photos sitting around, please send them our way. We’d love to see them!

Let’s take a look at what’s washed in recently:

Samoa Bay Street North (CA) 01/13/15 found by Brenda and William

Bill: 26mm
Wing: 16cm
Tarsus: 35mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose 4 toes: 3 webbed, 4^th free (go to Q5), choose tarsus not more than 12mm across (go to Q6), choose 4^th toe lobed, with flap extending to end of nail – STOP: Waterfowl: Diving Ducks.

Alaska Guide
On WF1, select “plain bill” and continue to WF2. Wing has white in the speculum and a white patch – SO many choices: WF15, WF19, WF25, WF29, WF31 and WF33. Hey! That wasn’t so bad – only species fits that wing chord: Bufflehead.

West Coast Guide
On WF1, select “white in wing” and “plain bill” – WF13, WF15 and WF23. Great! The wing chord proves this is a Bufflehead.

Fishing Rock North (OR) 4/22/15 found by Ann

Bill: 52 mm
Wing: 21 cm (molting into breeding plumage!!)
Tarsus: 73 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose 4 toes: 3 weebed, 4^th free (go to Q5), choose tarsus more than 12mm across – STOP: Loons.

Alaska Guide
On LO1, bill is less than 60mm, wing chord less than 30mm:
Pacific Loon (LO2)
Red-throated Loon (LO4)
Arctic Loon (rare)
Bill is straight, no spotting on back or wings, so not a RTLO. Between Pacific and Arctic, we need the ventral side, to see the dark stripe between the feet. Fortunately, the tarsus is also a bit too long for the Arctic Loon (53-65mm) so Pacific it is!

West Coast Guide
On LO1, bill is less than 60mm and straight – Pacific Loon – easy!

Have you ever found one of these and wondered what it was?

Components of a hagfish trap, shown above, regularly wash-up on COASST beaches. Bait is placed inside the barrel and the “slime eel” swims in through the opening of the cone then can’t get back out. The catch is exported to Asian markets.

Have you ever seen this animal on your COASST survey? Here’s a photo of one found by Linda at Short Beach in Oregon.

Even though they may look like jellyfish with their simple gelatinous form, these barrel shaped gelatinous creatures are actually tunicates or saclike filter-feeders known as sea salps. Salps are about 4 inches long and pump water through their gelatinous bodies as they move, catching food in the process. Capable of fast asexual reproduction, sea salps can form large communities, linking together in long luminous chains sometimes more than 4 meters long under water.

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

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

What’s Washed In – March 31, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,

Hope you’re all enjoying the start of Spring! It’s been a busy month at COASST, with national and regional media attention. Executive Director Julia Parrish was recently featured on the March 20 edition of Science Friday, COASST data were featured in the recent Pacific States Fisheries Management Council Meeting, as #9 of the 12 main highlights in the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA), State of the California Current Report, 2015, and a number of COASSTers were featured in recent news coverage. A big thanks for all of your hard work! Check out the latest on our website in the COASSTal News section. We’re so proud to have all of you representing COASST!

Let’s take a look at what’s washed in recently:

Anchor River Recreation Area (AK) 03/14/15 found by Lisa

Bill: 45
Wing: 20
Tarsus: 39

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose three toes: all webbed (go to Q4), choose foot not huge – STOP: Alcids.

Alaska Guide
On AL1, veer left – wing chord is more than 15cm. Bill is dark, slender and featureless, upperwing is dark –check out these four species:
Common Murre (AL3)
Thick-billed Murre (AL5)
Pigeon Guillemot (AL7)
Black Guillemot (AL7)
Look carefully – the face has a dark eyeline, or “tearline” – (see key character 2 on the AL3). The Thick-billed Murre has a dark face with a white chin. Non-breeding guillemots with white underparts lack this eyeline; the bill, wing and tarsus measurements for this bird do not fit for the PIGU or BLGU. Common Murre – correct!

West Coast Guide
On AL1, veer left – wing chord is more than 15cm. Bill is dark, smooth/slender and featureless, investigate these two options:
Common Murre (AL2)
Pigeon Guillemot (AL10)
The bill, wing and tarsus measurements do not fit for Pigeon Guillemot and the underwing is white – Common Murre – great work!

Ruby South (WA) 1/20/15 found by Janis and Jody

Bill: 17 mm
Wing: 13.5 cm
Tarsus: 18 mm

Alaska Guide
On AL1, veer right – wing chord is less than 15cm. Bill is dark, without a spot – one of the murrelets:
Marbled Murrelet (AL17)
Kittlitz’s Murrelet (AL19)
Bill is too long for a KIMU and the eye is within the dark part of the face – Marbled Murrelet – nice!

West Coast Guide
On AL1, veer right – wing chord is more than 15cm. Bill is dark, so we’re left with a few options:
Common Murre-juvenile/chick (AL4)
Marbled Murrelet (AL14)
* Ancient Murrelet (AL16)
* Kittlitz’s Murrelet (AL20)
* Least Auklet (AL24)
* Whiskered Auklet (AL26)
(* = rare, included in the 2002 version only)
Not a Common Murre chick – it’s January! And besides, this bird has white shoulder patches and dark secondaries and no dark eyeline. Measurements fit for Marbled Murrelet, but let’s examine the rarities:
Ancient Murrelet – nope, dark shoulder
Kittlitz’s Murrelet – nope, bill too small
Least Auklet and Whiskered Auklet – nope, bil and wing too small
Yep, it is a Marbled Murrelet.

Mike and Chiggers’ marine debris surveys at Norwegian Memorial (WA) tell an interesting story. Their beach consistently catches A LOT of bottles and bottle fragments, many with Asian writing. Seen here is the haul from a single zone in a single transect. A well weathered Puma shoe also washed up for their December survey. The stitching and lace holes make us think these are “vintage”. Do they remind anyone else of basketball practice in the 70s?

Washington COASSTers Lee and Sue were lucky enough to come across this Humboldt squid during their February survey of Three Crabs Beach.

Also referred to as Jumbo squid, these giants are able to swim with speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and are known to eject themselves from the water to escape predators. While the coloring of this squid is mostly white, these cephalopods are able to change their appearance in shades of purple, red and white.

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

What’s Washed In — March 13, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,

Hope you’re all enjoying some sunshine on your beaches this month. It’s been a busy few weeks at COASST.

Since our last update, we’ve held trainings and events in all four COASST states (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California), catching up with many COASSTers both near and far. COASST staff also attended the inaugural Citizen Science Association conference, the Pacific Seabird Group annual meeting, and the Alaska Forum on the Environment. Additionally, we hosted two COASST Advisory Board meetings, with lots of interaction between our advisors (arriving all the from as far away as New York!) and principal investigators for special projects.The COASST interns have been extra busy this quarter, preparing for trainings, working on thenew marine debris module, and entering data on many, many Cassin’s Auklets. After finals next week, they’re ready for a well-deserved spring break.Speaking of hard work, thank you to all of you for your help this month! We couldn’t do it without you, and we look forward to seeing your next datasheets and photos.Let’s take a look at What’s Washed In recently:

Seven Devils Wayside (OR) 2/22/15 found by Karen

Wing: 41 cm

Alaska Wing Key– page 44

Q1 – choose “mottled mantle, brown, gray or white (go to Q29)
Q29 – choose “mottling throughout mantle (go to Q30)
Q30 – with this wing chord measurement we’re left with:
-female eiders (WF21, WF23, WF25, WF27)
-Large Immature Gull (LA4)
Only one of these options allows for a wing chord of 41cm – Large Immature Gull – correct!

West Coast Wing Key – page 33

Q1 – choose “mantle with variable mottling: brown, gray or white” (go to Q14)
Q14 – choose “mottling throughout mantle” (go to Q15)
Q15 – with this wing chord measurement, we’re left with:
-Large Immature Gull (LA3)
-Canada Goose (WF19)
-Caspian Tern (LA19)
-Snow Goose (rare)
-Greater White-fronted Goose (rare)
Wing tips of this bird are pale – not black or dark brown, per CATE and CAGO – Large Immature Gull it is!

West Coast Wing Table – page 32

Choose row, “Extra large, wing chord 33-43cm”
Choose column, “mottled brown mantle”
At this intersection, we’re presented with:
Large Immature Gull (LIGU, LA3)
South Polar Skua (SPSK, LA29)
Pomarine Jaeger (POJA, LA27)
Heermann’s Gull-juvenile (HEER, LA21)
Of these, HEER and POJA are shorter than 41cm, and SPSK has a bright white patch at the base of the primaries – Large Immature Gull is the only one left!

South Spit (CA) 3/1/15 found by Don and Grace
Bill: 32 mm
Wing: 17 cm
Tarsus: 29 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22

Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose three toes: all webbed (go to Q4), choose foot not huge – STOP: Alcids.

Alaska Guide

On AL1 veer left – wing chord is more than 15cm. Bill is orange, with a different colored base – select “yellow-to-dark orange, w/ grooves or horn,” and proceed to these three species pages:
Tufted Puffin (AL9)
Horned Puffin (AL11)
Rhinoceros Auklet (AL13)
Bill is way too small for either the Tufted Puffin or Horned Puffin – Rhinoceros Auklet!

West Coast Guide

On AL1 veer left – wing chord is more than 15cm. Bill is orange, with a different colored base – select “yellow-to-dark orange, w/ grooves or horn (or in the earlier edition: orange with distinct grooves, horn or bump)”. We’re left with the “true puffins:”
Rhinoceros Auklet (AL6)
Tufted Puffin (AL12)
(Horned Puffin, AL12 – some guides have TUPU and HOPU combined)
Bill is way too small for either the Tufted Puffin or Horned Puffin – Rhinoceros Auklet!

Wishing all of you a happy (belated) Valentines Day! This ballon was found by Jeff Adams way back in April of 2013.

Ballons are commonly ingested by marine life like sea turtles because they are similar in size and movement (“floppy”) to the jellyfish they eat. With the ultimate goal of preventing these and other impacts of marine debris, COASST’s efforts will quantify and help identify the sources of objects, like balloons, that are mistaken for prey.

This Harbor Porpoise was found washed up by COASSTers in Humboldt. Commonly seen in coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, the porpoise is the smallest of the cetacean family, which also includes whales and dolphins. While they tend to be independent feeders, they can sometimes be spotted in groups of 4-6 searching for food along the surface of the water. Also commonly seen is the Dall’s porpoise, which is slightly larger and has black coloration with white oval markings on their sides and bellies.

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

What’s Washed In – February 6, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,
Thank you for all of your great emails, photos, and datasheets recently. We really appreciate all of your efforts, especially with the Cassin’s Auklet wreck. For the 11th week running, Cassin’s Auklets still WAY outnumber other species on COASST surveys – you can view the updated graphic with December’s numbers here.

For Oregon COASSTers headed out this weekend, be aware that there is a potential “damaging wind storm” in the forecast for Sunday afternoon. Remember, your safety is always the #1 priority! Please avoid surveying if it is dangerous.

If you do have nice weather on your next survey, however, we’d love your help with a special project. COASST is looking to create a collection of high quality beach photos featuring you!

If you have a chance on your next survey to take a few photos of you or your survey partner/team with your beach in the background, we would love to gather these for future use on the new COASST website or in COASST presentations.

Hope you all have a great weekend! We can’t wait to see your photos!

Let’s take a look a what’s washed in lately:

Puale Bay (AK) 7/20/14 found by Susan, Jacob, Carrick, Jaime, and Sarah

Bill: 53 mm

Wing: 27.5 cm

Tarsus: 61 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose webbed (go to Q2), choose completely webbed (go to Q3), choose 4 toes, all webbed (Pouchbills: STOP).

Alaska Guide
On PB1, select wing chord less than 35cm. This bird doesn’t have a tan or orange chin, so it’s a Pelagic or Red-faced cormorant. Completely dark bill = Pelagic!

West Coast Guide
On PB1, bypass pelicans (bill larger than 10cm = 100mm) and move to cormorants. Dark chin and dark bill = Pelagic

.Fort Flagler West (WA) 1/18/15 found by Nancy

Bill: 26 mm

Wing: 12 cm

Tarsus: 25 mm

Alaska Foot Key – page 34
West Coast Foot Key – page 22
Choose free (go to Q9), choose three toes, all front (Shorebirds: 3-toed: STOP).

Alaska Guide
On SB1, we have either a Black Oystercatcher (SB10) or Sanderling (rare). Black Oystercatcher is WAY too large – plumage and bill are not a match. Stick with the Sanderling.

West Coast Guide
At SB1, we’re left with Sandering (SB4), plovers and Black Oystercatcher (rare). Turns out, this IS a Sanderling – straight, black bill, dark wrist and wingtips.

Debris or not debris? That is the question…in the case of the mysterious “plastic strings” that Virginia and Jean often find in their marine debris samples at South Ocean (WA). After seeing these survey photos, Hillary was curious about their origin and identity. Virginia and Jean kindly sent samples into the COASST office, where we were all perplexed. Review under a microscope revealed that the strings had cell structures, indicating that they were likely actually dried up plant or algae material. Suspecting that they might be a seagrass or something similar, intern Ruth took the magnified images below and sent them, along with a few samples to a team of seagrass experts at Friday Harbor Labs.

Their conclusion? Sun bleached and dried Bur-reed, latin genus Sparganium, a plant closely related to cat-tails. Mystery solved!

It’s not everyday that you see a fish washed in with another fish in its mouth! Take a look at the sculpins that Tasha and Chuck found at Spring Creek (AK). Sculpins are benthic, or bottom dwelling fish that can be found in a wide variety of habitats in both fresh and saltwater. While some sculpins are just centimeters in length like the ones pictured here, other species (of the 300+) can reach about 60 cm (or ~2 ft!).
Have you seen something on your beach you’ve always wondered about? Send us a photo!

Updated Cassin’s Auklet – Dec

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cassinaukletsJan22

We’ve updated the Cassin’s Auklet graphic to include December’s monthly encounter rate, with surveys received through Jan 22, 2015. A few more weeks into February and we’ll be able to add January as well. Currently, January totals are the highest of the four months, but that may change as the number of entered and verified surveys grows.

We figured COASSTers would want to check out this photo (which Charlie rounded up from Tom). Did you note the COASST ID characters on this one?

Short, stout bill with pale spot at base
White spot(s) around eye
Gray underwing with pale central band

Woo hoo! That’s how we know it’s not a Kittlitz’s or Marbled Murrelet, nor a Rhinoceros or Parakeet Auklet. And this late into the year (Nov-Jun), juvenile murres are all teenagers – at least the same size as adults – so it’s not one of those, either.

Keep on going, COASSTers! At this rate, Cassin’s Auklets might surpass Northern Fulmars for the number two spot on the COASST species list – if so, you’ll be the first to know!

What’s Washed In – January 28, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,

Thanks so much for all of your help during this busy time! We’re still seeing lots of “countless Cassin’s” surveys these last two weeks – from the Beached Bird Patterns section of the COASST website, Cassin’s Auklets rose from #11 to #3 in the last two months. This die-off continues to generate widespread media attention, including a recent article in National Geographic online.

COASST volunteers and federal partners at the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration passed along another dead bird story circulating in the media: incidence of Avian Influenza in wild birds from California to Washington. It is important to note that the new strains detected along the West Coast affect the health of wild birds only, and according to the USGS press release, “there has been no evidence for H5 virus-related illness in humans.” Still, COASST and federal partners recommend the following precautions when handling dead birds:
-Wear disposable or rubber gloves
-Minimize exposure of your hands to your face and nose by not eating, drinking or smoking on your COASST survey
-Wash hands often

For more information on Avian Influenza findings in the Pacific Flyway, see the USDA site.

Let’s take a look a what’s washed in lately:

Steamboat Creek (CA) 11/15/14 found by Keith and Gene
Wing: 31 cm
Tarsus: 55 mm

Alaska Wing Key (page 44)
Choose “gray, some species with dark tips and/or dark stripes on mantle” (go to Q25)
Gray wingtips w/ no windows or fingernails – Northern Fulmar

West Coast Wing Key (page 33)
Choose “gray, some species w/ dark tips and/or dark stripes on mantle” (go to Q10)
Wingtips do not contrast (go to Q11)
Primaries uniformly gray – Northern Fumar (based on wing chord measurement)

West Coast Wing Table (page 32)
Choose row “Large, wing chord 29-32cm”
Choose column “dark upperwing”
It’s one of these four:
Northern Fulmar (TN3) – looking good, but checking the rest:
American Crow (PE2) – black plumage – nope.
Parasitic Jaeger (LA25) – tarsus outside the range for this species – nope.
Pomarine Jaeger (LA27) – wing chord outside the range for this species – nope.

Washburn North (OR) 1/6/15 found by Cindy
Bill:12 mm
Wing: 14.5 cm

Alaska Wing Key (page 44)
Choose “dark, some species w/ white spots or edging” (Go to Q2)
Upperwing simply dark (go to Q5)
Underwing linings are white (go to Q6)
Based on the wing chord, this is an Ancient Murrelet

West Coast Wing Key (page 33)
Choose “primarily dark, some species w/ pale spots or thin stripes” (go to Q2)
Upperwing simply dark (go to Q3)
Underwing lining contains an area of uninterrupted bright white (go to Q4)
Wing chord is consistent w/ the following:
Common Murre – juvenile
Ancient Murrelet
Only one of these has a pale bill – Ancient Murrelet!

West Coast Wing Table (page 32)
Choose row “Tiny, wing chord less than 18cm”
Choose column “Dark upperwing w/ white linings”
We’re left with the following:
Common Murre – juvenile
Ancient Murrelet
Only one of these has a pale bill – Ancient Murrelet!

We’re seeing a few rare Alcids (Ancient Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet) mixed in with the Cassin’s Auklets. Remember: by about November, Common Murres have reached their full adult size, so in January there aren’t any juvenile Common Murres left – they’re all teenagers by now!

Sandy found this large piece of debris during her January bird survey at Port William Beach (WA) and noting that it was near a boat ramp, joked that it may be a failed boat launch. For those of you in the Puget Sound, large debris items, creosote covered logs, and derelict vessels found can be reported to the WA DNR debris removal program. The rely on reports to prioritize removal actions and can be reached at 360-854-2808.

Marine debris intern Abby is working on a project using COASSTer marine debris photos. Her interest was piqued by this image taken by Sally at Wa-atch Beach (WA) in 2012. After some sleuthing, we discovered that they are competition throwing knives made by United Cutlery. They’ve made our list of “one of a kind” beach finds.

Linda and Bill found this interesting piece of cartilage at Virgin Creek (CA) a few months ago. Although we aren’t sure what species it is from, according to Mike Etnier at the Burke Museum, it appears to be the pectoral girdle of a large cartilaginous fish – perhaps a shark or a large skate. Since cartilaginous fish don’t have swim bladders to help maintain their buoyancy in the water, they are constantly moving, even when they are sleeping.

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

What’s Washed In – January 14, 2015

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Hi COASSTers,

Happy 2015! Hope you’re all enjoying the start of the new year. Over the past few weeks, we’ve received many photos and datasheets documenting the wreck of Cassin’s Auklets. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and extra efforts. We know it’s been a busy time, and we really appreciate all that you’ve done to help.

For more information on the Cassin’s Auklet wreck, check out our updated COASST news page. Here you can find links to a summary, updates on the blog, and recent news articles.

Also, for those of you who send in photos on a flash drive or memory card:
We’re sad to report that over the past few weeks, we’ve received a few envelopes with a slit in the side and missing media. Your photos are extremely important to us! When sending in your media, if you could possibly wrap it in extra paper or padding to reduce to likelihood of loss, that would be fantastic. Thanks for your understanding.

Let’s take a look at what’s washed in recently:

Mosquito Creek (WA) 12/14/14 found by Mike and Chiggers

Bill: 37 mm
Wing: 22 cm
Tarsus: 48 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), 4th toe shape is loped, w/ flap extending to nail – Waterfowl: Diving Ducks (WF1). Bill does have knob at bill base and extending towards nostril, which means we have a scoter or an eider.

Alaska guide:
We can eliminate White-winged Scoter (WF5) – no white in wing, and wing chord is too large. Feathers continue along top of bill, so Black Scoter (WF7) is out too. The bill does not match the shape or size of either the King, Common or Spectacled Eider, so this is a Surf Scoter – a female, because the bill is dark.

West Coast guide:
We can eliminate White-winged Scoter (WF3) – no white in wing, and wing chord is too large. Feathers continue along top of bill, so Black Scoter (WF17) is out too. The only other scoter in the guide is a Surf Scoter – this is a female because the bill is dark.

Coronado Shores (OR) 12/14/14 found by Steven and Nancy

Tarsus: 22 mm

Alaska foot key (page 34), West Coast foot key (page 22):
Lobed (go to Q14), multiple lobes, small tarsus <30mm: Shorebirds: Phalaropes (SB1). With a single foot, we can’t get any farther.

Luckily, Nancy and Steven found more than just a foot!

Bill: 22 mm
Wing: 14 cm

With this additional evidence and the shape of the bill (wide, not needle-like), this is a Red Phalarope, not its cousin, the Red-necked Phalarope.

Fireworks, shotgun shells and wads…explosives and their components are not uncommon finds on the beach, but during his Dry Lagoon survey on Nov 22, Rich found an object with the words: “hazardous materials, contact police or military”, seen in the images above. “Marine location markers” like this one do show up on beaches occasionally. Launched from aircraft, they are designed to emit smoke and flames once they hit the water. This one was removed by the local Sheriff’s Office, who believe it originated in Canadian waters off British Columbia.

It’s not every day you see bright orange teeth on the beach! Here’s a photo of the beaver that Patty found on her December 26th survey at Oregon Mile 255. How does a beaver cut through wood so efficiently? Since their incisors are harder on the front than on the back, the back of these teeth wear down more quickly, making a sharp cutting edge.

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 Die-off Continues

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For the full story, see the North Pacific Cassin’s Auklet Wreck fact sheet, posted to our website.

Following the Dec 20/21 weekend, COASST participants have seen a wave of Cassin’s Auklets hit the beaches, from Clallam County, Washington to Humboldt County, California. Combining reports from beached bird programs across North Pacific (see previous blog) preliminary estimates suggest that tens of thousands of these birds are washing ashore, at the rate of 10-100 times “normal.”

Cassin’s Auklet off the Washington coast. (c) R. Merrill

The Cassin’s Auklet, Ptychoramphus aleuticus is a small (about 200g, or 7 oz) krill and larval fish-eating seabird that breeds along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Baja California, Mexico. A majority of birds ( ~80% of the world’s population) breed in the Scott Island group, off the Northwest tip of Vancouver Island. Need more info? Check out BC’s Coast Region Species of Conservation Concern Fact Sheet.

Over 50 birds documented by a COASST team outside of Lincoln City, OR. (c) COASST

As of Jan 6, 2015, the northern coast of Oregon (Columbia River south to Heceta Head) has had the highest regional per kilometer counts, at 4.3 Cassin’s Auklets/km (Nov) and 5.2 Cassin’s Auklets/km (Dec). The highest per kilometer encounter rate on a COASST survey is from Bayocean Spit (near Tillamook, OR) at 71 birds/km.

What’s Washed In – December 30, 2014

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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 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

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Category Archives: Uncategorized

What’s Washed In – May 18, 2015

What’s Washed In – April 28, 2015

What’s Washed In – March 31, 2015

What’s Washed In — March 13, 2015

What’s Washed In – February 6, 2015

Updated Cassin’s Auklet – Dec

What’s Washed In – January 28, 2015

What’s Washed In – January 14, 2015

Cassin’s Auklet Die-off Continues

What’s Washed In – December 30, 2014