Notes from the Field (Spring 2009):
Date: May 29, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dianna Moore and Dan Miller
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
1 adult,
2 juveniles |
1 juvenile |
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Band Code |
| Bald Eagle |
A/4 |
Date: May 11, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dianna Moore and Suzanne Tomlinson
Comments: We were very pleased to see the Bald Eagle with color band M/K on the beach this morning.
Mary Kay Kenney banded this female, a one-year at the time, at Long Beach on April 12, 2005.
M/K has been reobserved on two other occasions: April 15, 2006 at Ocean Shores and April 13, 2008
north along the coast at La Push.
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
3 adults,
5 juveniles |
1 adult |
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Band Code |
| Bald Eagle |
M/K |
Brant near the water's edge this morning. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shorebird biologist Kathy Gunther encountered a Peregrine Falcon feeding on a Brant it had taken from the air at the north end of the Long Beach Peninsula in April.
Date: May 4, 2009
Beach: Grayland
Observers: Dan Varland, Dale Larson, and Tom Rowley
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
3 adults,
2 juveniles |
Three-year old Bald Eagle perched on a sign closing public access to a Snowy Plover nesting area. The Snowy Plover is listed as Endangered at the state level in Washington and as Threatened federally by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Tom Rowley photo.
Kathy Gunther, wildlife biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, on the beach today. Kathy was looking to read the band codes on color banded Snowy Plovers in the nesting area. Tom Rowley photo.
Shorebirds flying along the surf line. Tom Rowley photo.
Fishermen in the surf. Tom Rowley photo.
Date: May 2, 2009
Beach: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Mike Walker, Linda Rohan, and Stacy Hollis
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Northern Harrier |
Red-tailed Hawk |
Osprey |
8 adults,
7 juveniles |
2 |
1 adult |
1 |
A pair of Bald Eagles. As with most raptor species, males are smaller. He is perched on the left.
These birds were perched so close together their beaks almost touched at times as they looked around.
Date: April 23, 2009
Beach: Grayland
Observers: Dan Varland, Suzanne Tomlinson, and Dale Larson
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine |
| 1 juvenile |
1 juvenile |
A/3, a one-year-old female Peregrine Falcon captured and banded on the beach today. She is beginning her molt to adult plumage, which is evidenced by the blue-gray feathers coming in on the rump and back.
The molt from juvenile to adult plumage is evident in the breast feather pattern. Juveniles show a vertical barring pattern and adults horizontal; A/3 has some of both.
Dan Varland releases A/3.
Date: April 11, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Sandra Miller
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
2 adults,
6 juveniles |
Crows foraging in a pile of bull kelp.
Date: April 8, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dianna Moore, Bill Hutton and Yvonne Cressy
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Merlin |
4 adults,
2 juveniles |
1 |
A one-year-old Bald Eagle looking around on the beach.
Date: March 27, 2009
Beach: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland and Dianna Moore
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
4 adults,
2 juveniles |
1, age undetermined |
Bald Eagle drinks from a creek.
Date: March 26, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland and Suzanne Tomlinson
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
10 adults,
7 juveniles |
Bald Eagles (and crow) feed at a sea lion carcass on the beach today.
Date: March 15, 2009
Beach: Grayland
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley and Dan Miller.
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
1 adult,
2 juveniles |
Living on the edge. This property, complete with ladders for beach access, is south of our survey area at Washaway Beach.
Date: March 14, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Suzanne Tomlinson, Dave Murnen, and Mike Walter
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
6 adults,
2 juveniles |
Date: March 2, 2009
Beach: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Bryan Bedrosian, Mary Kay Kenney, Rich Sivonen, Brian Sterling, and Tom Rowley.
Raptors Banded:
| Species |
Color Band Code |
| Bald Eagle |
M/X |
Mary Kay Kenney and Dan Varland process M/X, and adult female Bald Eagle captured on the beach at Ocean Shores this morning. Photo by Tom Rowley.
Bryan Bedrosian talks with Yvonne Cressy and Bill Kirkham about our banding activities and the North American bird banding program, while M/X awaits her bands. Yvonne and Bill happened by as we were processing the bird. They stayed with us until M/X was released.
Blood sample draw from M/X.
Bryan Bedrosian examines the blood sample from M/X. Back in Wyoming, Bryan analyzed blood lead levels from the six eagles captured during his stay. Good News! Lead levels were low to non-existent in our coastal eagles.
Date: March 1, 2009
Beach: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Bryan Bedrosian, Mary Kay Kenney, Dave Murnen, Scott Horton, Suzanne Tomlinson, Marc Tomlinson, Dan Miller, Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop.
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Band Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
H/4 |
This photograph by Rob Palmer is simply amazing. H/4 was banded at Long Beach on January 3, 2009.