Notes from the Field (Spring 2014):
Date: May 30, 2014
Location: on the beach 4 miles south of Newport, Oregon
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Glenn Marquardt, Dawn Harris, Cory Lescher and David Adamson.
After capturing two vultures on May 29, we set up for a second morning of trapping south of Newport.
David Adamson and Dawn Harris.
Dawn is a wildlife biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Glenn Marquardt (left) and Cory Lescher chat it up. Unfortunately, chatting is all we did today. We saw far fewer vultures in the air today versus yesterday, and none came in to feed at our set (Stellar's sea lion with net launcher).
Date: May 29, 2014
Location: on the beach 4 miles south of Newport, Oregon
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Glenn Marquardt, Dawn Villaescuda, Rich Van Buskirk, and Brittany Nahorney.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
BN |
| Turkey Vulture |
BH |
Rich Van Buskirk and Brittany Nahorney watch for vultures to arrive at the set. Brittany is a summer intern working with Rich, Biology Professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.
Jim Rice scopes things out.
With the 4Runner and trailer parked at the trap site just after the net launcher was fired, Dawn Villaescuda took this photo of 29 Turkey Vultures in the air. Five were in proximity to the bait when the net launcher was fired. We captured two!
Rich and Brittany with BN.
Rich and Brittany with BH.
Date: May 11, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Victor Ayala, Nallely Arce, Adriana Hernandez, Joe Buchanan and Tom Rowley.
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
| 6 adults |
1 juvenile |
Marked Individuals Observed, Survey:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
N/K |
| Bald Eagle |
M/D |
Raptors Banded:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
B/2 |
Washington biologist Joe Buchanan (far left) joined Tom Rowley and me for today's survey with three very special guests. Left to right are Victor Ayala, Nallely Arce and Adriana Hernandez, from La Paz, Mexico. The three, like Joe, are students of the Red Knot. The Pacific coast subspecies of Red Knot winters in coastal northwestern Mexico, including Baja California Sur and the mouth of the Colorado River where Victor, Nallely and Adriana have banded them under the direction of Dr. Roberto Carmona. Red Knots wintering in Mexico migrate north to Alaska in spring, stopping on Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay to feed, where Joe and colleagues study them. Thanks to special grant funding the three were able travel to Washington to join Joe and colleagues for Red Knot research. Today, on one of their few days off during their visit, the group joined Tom Rowley and me for a raptor survey.
All photos, except for those of Red Knots, by Tom Rowley.
Adriana, Nallely and Victor describe their visit.
We inadvertently captured Bald Eagle A/K, an adult male, during an effort to capture a Peregrine Falcon.
Bald eagle A/K had been captured, banded, and tissue sampled on April 5. Re-capturing him during today's survey was not planned. That said, having A/K in-hand provided me with a teaching opportunity for the biologists from Mexico, none of whom had been up-close with a Bald Eagle.
I demonstrated proper techniques for restraining an eagle for processing after capture, including how to apply a hood, boots and an aba (body wrap). Victor, Adriana and Nallely each had an opportunity to hold the bird before release. They were thrilled!
Victor.
Adriana.
Nallely.
To show our usual approach to capturing Bald Eagles, I provided a net launcher demonstration. We also use this trap to capture Common Ravens and Turkey Vultures.
Packing the net
Capturing a plastic Peregrine Falcon.
Adriana applies color band B/2 to our peregrine.
B/2 is beginning to molt to adult plumage.
Close up of molting plumage.
Nallaley with B/2.
Nallely holds the remains of a Red Knot that I found dead below a Peregrine Falcon nest site on Grays Harbor on August 3, 2012. The knot, which has a flag code of 568, was banded in 2009 in Mexico by these biologists.
Red Knots held for processing after capture on Grays Harbor. After our day in the field surveying raptors, Victor, Nallely, Adriana and Joe joined other Washington biologists for a week of Red Knot field work on Grays Harbor
Red Knots are captured in large groups with a rocket net. So they can be identified with a spotting scope without recapture, they are marked for individual identification with leg flags. Each has its own unique code.
Adriana shows off a Red Knot captured on Grays Harbor; this knot received flag "AH", her initials.
Photo provided by Adriana Hernandez.
Leg-flagged Red Knots on Grays Harbor. Leg flag colors denote the country where the flag was applied. Left to right, these knots were processed in Mexico, Washington and Russia. Incredible!
Photo provided by Adriana Hernandez.
Date: May 5, 2014
Location: 1.7 miles south of Damon Road beach access, Ocean Shores
Dan Varland, Sandra Miller, Dann Sears and Larry Warwick. Photos and videos by Dan Varland.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
D/2 |
| Bald Eagle |
K/2 |
Two eagles, an adult male and a 3-year-old female, captured at the same time!
Sandra Miller with juvenile Bald Eagle D/2. A hooded eagle is a calm eagle. They can't fight what they can't see! Sandra had the right earrings on for the occasion!
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
D/2.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
The adult male Bald Eagle.
Dan Varland photo.
Officer Adam Glanz stopped by.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Sears releases K/2.
Larry Warwick releases D/2.
Date: May 4, 2014
Location: 1.7 miles south of Damon Road beach access, Ocean Shores
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Pam McCauley, Lisa Leitz, and Larry Warwick.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
B/2 |
Larry Warwick and Lisa Leitz with B/2, a second-year female Bald Eagle.
Dan Varland photo.
Larry Warwick releases B/2
Date: April 23, 2014
Location: 0.2 miles south of Damon Road beach access, Ocean Shores
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Janie Fink Veltkamp, Don Veltkamp, Trish Safstrom and Larry Warwick.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Common Raven |
ROYLGS |
Janie Fink Veltkamp with our raven.
Dan Varland photo.
The color bands.
Dan Varland photo.
Don Veltkamp releases the raven.
Date: April 22, 2014
Location: North of Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Sandra Miller, and Pam McCauley.
The adult male Bald Eagle we captured, banded and tissue-sampled on
April 5, N/K, relaxes on the beach.
Date: April, 2014
Location: Hoquiam Wastewater Treatment Plant
On
March 19, 2013, with the help of Adam Hoxit and Willis Industries Coastal Raptors attached a nest box
for Peregrine Falcons atop an Osprey nest platform neat the Hoquiam Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Our goal was to provide a site for peregrine nesting, after we saw:
- no Osprey nesting there, and
-
peregrines perch on the platform. The box was placed rather late in the 2013 nesting season.
Thus, when it was not used in 2013, we weren't too surprised or terribly disappointed.
We looked forward to the 2014 nesting season. To our surprise, this year Great Horned Owls decided to
nest in the box. We didn't notice the tenants for quite a while, despite many checks for peregrine use!
A brown bird hunkered down in a box with brown sides, mamma Great Horned Owl went un-detected until March 24.
Janie Fink Veltkamp was the first to notice. Thanks Janie! Backdating from the age of the young at banding,
she laid her eggs around February 17.
On April 16, we banded two nestlings at ground level below the nest box. Willis Industries generously donated
their man-lift and operator Adam Hoxit to allow us access to the young. Pam McCauley helped with banding.
25-30 day old Great Horned Owls in the nest. The egg in the nest with the young owls was addled and so was removed.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: April 5 2014
Location: 0.3 miles north of Ocean Shores
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Trish Safstrom, Pam McCauley, and Joshua Benton.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
N/K |
Pam McCauley with our eagle, an adult male. A hooded eagle is a calm eagle.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Joshua Benton with our Bald Eagle.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: March 30, 2014
Location: 2.1 miles north of Ocean Shores
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Pam McCauley, Lisa Leitz, Chris Handley, Katherine Lopez and Tom Rowley.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
M/E |
The net drops around our target bird.
Tom Rowley photo.
Two-year old male Bald Eagle.
Tom Rowley photo.
Team effort to remove him from the net.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Our eagle had a beak wound, which was not a serious injury. Most likely, he was bitten by another eagle during a squabble.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Paul Handley about to release M/E.
Tom Rowley photo.
Away!
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: March 23, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Jane (Fink) Veltkamp, Don Veltkamp, Sandra Miller, and Larry Warwick.
Raptors Banded at Trap Site:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Common Raven |
RGOLSY |
Sandra Miller and Don Veltkamp work to free a gull from the net. The gull was captured along with our intended target, a raven.
Dan Varland photo.
Jane and Sandra with the raven.
Dan Varland photo.
Color bands on the raven.
Dan Varland photo.
Jane Fink Veltkamp releases a raven that was captured, banded and tissue sampled at Ocean Shores, WA on March 22, 2014.
Date: March 22, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Jane (Fink) Veltkamp, Don Veltkamp, and Dianna Moore.
Raptor count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Merlin |
5 adults,
5 juveniles
|
2 juveniles |
1 |
Marked Individuals Observed, Survey:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
E/6 |
First-year Bald Eagle.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: March 14, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Suzy Whittey, Susan Clark, Caleb Klauder and Rebecca Willms.
Raptors Banded:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
N/D |
Caleb, Rebecca and I work to free the Bald Eagle we captured: a one-year old female.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Caleb and Rebecca with the eagle.
Suzy Whittey photo.
This eagle bears the inverted white triangle feather pattern characteristic of one- and two-year-old Bald Eagles turning age two and three this spring.
Dan Varland photo.
Susan (left) and Suzy extend the wing. Note the uneven length of the secondary feathers at the base of the wing (below Susan's hand and inward). This ragged appearance is due to the mix of new shorter and retained longer feathers and is characteristic of Bald Eagles of this age class. (Note: Much of the fourth secondary feather was removed for heavy metal analysis. The remaining portion is clearly visible in the photo).
Dan Varland photo.
Suzy with N/D. Both iris and beak of eagles in this age class have started a color change to the yellow.
Dan Varland photo.
With the hood off, N/D reached around and gave Suzy something to remember: a peck on the cheek!
Dan Varland photo.
N/D goes free.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Date: March 11, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Sandra Miller, Rich Van Buskirk, Mary Kay Kenney and Jesse D'Elia.
Bald Eagle landing on an Elephant Seal carcass.
Rich Van Buskirk photo.
The eagle feeds with jealous raven looking on. We had the net launcher set up at this carcass, but problems with the electronics meant no capture. After our technical difficulties, Sandra, Rich and I stayed with the net launcher and carcass for additional trapping opportunities while Mary Kay and Jesse drove north in search of peregrines to capture and band.
Rich Van Buskirk photo.
Mary Kay holds D/6, an adult female Peregrine Falcon captured and banded at the north end of the Long Beach peninsula.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
With no avian scavengers in the area and the weather wonderful, I used the opportunity to catch some sleep at the trap site.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Sandra Miller kept watch on the trap from the 4Runner while I got some rest.
Jesse D'Elia photo.
Date: March 10, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Mary Kay Kenney, Suzanne Staples, and Rich Van Buskirk. In second vehicle: Suzy Whittey, Mary Kroski, Jean Fairbanks and Sandra Miller.
Raptor Count, survey:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
A/7 |
Marked Individuals Observed, Survey:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
M/R |
Suzy Whittey (left) generously provided subway sandwiches for the group. Pictured with Suzy are Mary Kroski (center) and Jean Fairbanks.
Dan Varland photo.
Bald Eagles. One was banded, though the bands are not visible.
Mary Kay Kenney photo.
Rich Van Buskirk took this close-up with a telephoto lens at 2:17PM. The banded eagle on the right is M/R, an adult male we captured and banded not far from this location on April 12, 2012. The location is nearly 20 miles north of the south end of the peninsula. Most remarkable about this re-sighting is that M/R was spotted and photographed the same day at around 11:30AM, 18 miles south of our re-sighting location.
With a family enjoying the spectacle, M/R feeds on a sea lion carcass just off the Seaview beach access. This photo of M/R was taken by Phillis Stupeck at 4:55 PM, less than 3 hours after we spotted him near the tower 18 miles further north.
M/R feeding at 5:01 PM.
Phillis Stupeck photo.
Date: March 9, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Mary Kay Kenney, Sandra Miller, and Rich Van Buskirk.
Raptors Banded:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
A/7 |
Sandra and Mary Kay work to fit a hood on A/7, a first-year female Peregrine Falcon we captured.
Dan Varland photo.
A/7.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: March 8, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers on survey: Mary Kay Kenney, Dianna Moore, Dave Murnen, and Virginia Molenaar.
Observers at trap site: Dan Varland, Steven Wilder, Don and Dalene Edgar.
Raptors Banded, Survey and Trap Site:
| Peregrine Falcon |
Bald Eagle |
| M/7 |
P/O |
Marked Individuals Observed, Survey:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
E/6 |
Dianna Moore with M/7, a first-year female Peregrine Falcon captured for banding and tissue sampling.
Virginia Molenaar photo.
Photo opportunity with M/7. Strong winds and driving rain were the order of the day.
Dan Varland photo.
Mary Kay Kenney and Dave Murnen.
Dan Varland photo.
The net launcher fires and we capture a one-year-old male Bald Eagle.
Dalene Edgar photo.
Steven Wilder with our captured eagle. Given severe rain and wind at the trap site, we decided to process the eagle in Don and Dalene Edgar's garage, miles from the trap site. We released him where he was captured after we completed the processing procedure.
Dan Varland photo.
With Steven Wilder holding the bird and Don Edgar with pliers, Mary Kay applies the bands.
Dalene Edgar photo.
Given our unhappiness with the weather, we decided to use color band PO for this eagle....enough said!
Dalene Edgar photo.
Mary Kay with P/O.
Dalene Edgar photo.