Notes from the Field (Fall 2014):
Date: November 25, 2014
Location:Long Beach
Observers: Varland, Sandra Miller and Scott Horton.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Northern Harrier |
Peregrine Falcon |
9 adults,
1 juvenile
|
1 |
1 |
Marked Raptors Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
D/3 |
Bald Eagle |
M/R |
Common Raven |
RSYLGO |
We had a bit of fog and intermittent rain during today's survey. Temperatures were mild, in the 50s, and wind speeds were moderate at 10-15 mph. The conditions were pretty good for a survey in late November.
Dan Varland photo.
This tree may soon become waterlogged!
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
We saw W/R, an adult male Bald Eagle perched on a clump of Bull Kelp.
We banded him on
April 12, 2012, less than one-half mile north of where we saw him today.
Date: November 21, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Dale Larson and Dianna Moore.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
4 adults |
1 juvenile |
Marked Raptors Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Adult Bald Eagle
Date: November 17, 2014
Location: Grayland
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Sandra Miller and Pam McCauley.
Raptor Count:
Peregrine Falcon |
2 adults,
1 juvenile
|
Marked Raptors Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
P/6 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/E |
Gray Whale skeleton.
Dan Varland photo.
Whale skull with the wind turbines south of Grayland in the background.
Tom Rowley photo.
The same Gray Whale two months earlier, on September 3. Note the Turkey Vulture feeding.
Tom Rowley photo.
Gull with razor clam.
Tom Rowley photo.
Dan Varland, with Z/E, an adult female Peregrine Falcon.
Tom Rowley photo.
Z/E.
Tom Rowley photo.
Z/E.
Tom Rowley photo.
Blood draw, Z/E. L to R: Pam McCauley, Dan Varland and Sandra Miller.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
We take blood from the cutaneous ulnar vein where it passes across the ulna.
This location is one of several options available.
Sandra Miller with P/6, a 1-year-old Peregrine Falcon we re-captured today for blood and feather samples.
We banded P/6 on
December 10, 2012 when she was less than one year of age.
Tom Rowley photo.
P/6 retained a few brown feathers from her first-year, juvenile-age plumage.
Tom Rowley photo.
P/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
P/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
Getting a feather sample from P/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
Our fantastic photographer, Tom Rowley. Thanks Tom!
Dan Varland photo.
Date: November 14, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Josh Benton, Pam McCauley and Larry Warwick.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Northern Harrier |
3 adults |
2 juveniles |
1 |
Marked Raptors Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/R |
Pam McCauley with Z/R, a first-year Peregrine Falcon captured and banded north of Ocean Shores.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Z/R.
Larry Warwick photo.
Dan Varland photo.
The release.
Josh Benton Video.
Beach walker.
Dan Varland photo.
Coyote romp on the beach.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: November 8, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Virginia Molenaar, Ashley Sacco, Lynn Schultz, Michelle and Nils Landis.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
1 adult |
1 juvenile |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Dave Murnen and Lynn Schultz on the Ocean Shores jetty at daybreak.
Dan Varland photo.
Viewing platform? Stairway to heaven?
Dan Varland photo.
Fishing for surf perch.
Dan Varland photo.
L to R: Dave Murnen, Virginia Molenaar, Dan Varland, Lynn Schultz with daughter Ashley Sacco, and Michelle Landis.
Behind the camera: Nils Landis.
Date: October 31, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Will Dixon, Steve and Jay Gamboa, Suzy Whittey, Glenn Marquardt, and Suzanne Staples.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Merlin |
1 juvenile |
2 adults,
1 juvenile
|
2 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
W/6 |
Peregrine Falcon |
D/3 |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/Z |
Jay Gamboa with a first-year female Peregrine Falcon about to be fitted with visual identification band Z/Z.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Z/Z.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Z/Z.
Will Dixon photo.
Z/Z.
Will Dixon photo.
Blood sample collected from Z/Z.
Dan Varland photo.
L to R: Will Dixon, Glenn Marquardt, Dan Varland, Steve Gamboa, Jay Gamboa and Suzanne Staples with Z/Z.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Japan tsunami debris.
Suzy Whittey photo.
Will and Steve with adult Peregrine Falcons, a male and a female. In most raptor species, females are larger than males. Peregrines are no exception to this rule. Here, with the birds side by side, it's easy to see which one is which.
Dan Varland photo.
Will's grandson Jay applies visual identification band W/6 to the female.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Jay with the female.
Will Dixon photo.
With his dad holding the bird, Jay applies visual identification band D/3 to the male.
Dan Varland photo.
Will Dixon photo.
Jay points an iPhone in my direction as I am about to release the birds.
Will Dixon photo.
Away! Jay Gamboa video.
Date: October 27, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Noel Ferguson, Tom Rowley and Sandra Miller.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Merlin |
3 adults,
1 juvenile
|
1 juvenile |
2 |
Merlin.
Tom Rowley photo.
Rainbow.
Tom Rowley photo.
4-year-old Bald Eagle.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: October 19, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Varland; Josh, Tabby and Cassy Benton.
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
The Benton family, 7-year-old Cassy, Tabby and Josh on the beach alongside whale vertebrae.
They were among the remains of a Finn Whale that washed ashore in
June of 2013.
Dan Varland photo.
Finn Whale skull.
Dan Varland photo.
Looking through a field guide given to Cassy as a gift from Coastal Raptors.
Dan Varland photo.
Common Raven feeding on Western Grebe carcass.
Dan Varland photo.
Western Grebes foraging at Connor Creek.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: October 11, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen; Michelle and Nils Landis.
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Common Raven |
ROYLGS |
Date: October 6, 2014
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Chuljian, Greg Knowels, Ellen Falconer, Rich Van Buskirk, Suzy Whittey and Sharon Hildebrandt.
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Common Raven |
RSYLGO |
David Chuljian, Greg Knowels, and Ellen Falconer arrive at the Ilwaco airport south of the Long Beach Peninsula. They flew in from Port Townsend for today's survey.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Pilot David Chuljian. David won a Peregrine Falcon banding survey with Coastal Raptors. The survey was offered by Coastal Raptors as an auction item for West Sound Wildlife Shelter's annual fundraising auction. West Sound is a wildlife rehabilitation and education center on Washington's Bainbridge Island. In 2012 and 2013, Coastal Raptors also provided surveys for West Sound's auction. Auction proceeds go to support West Sound Wildlife and Coastal Raptors: a win-win situation!
Dan Varland photo.
Left to right: Greg Knowels, David Chuljian, and Ellen Falconer.
Dan Varland photo.
The weather was beautiful until mid-afternoon. Surprisingly, we hadn't seen a raptor. Then fog rolled in off the ocean. At that point, we gave up and went home.
Dan Varland photo.
Voila! We later joked that maybe the airplane chased all the peregrines away! Using his skills with the program Photoshop, Tom Rowley turned our joke into "reality".
Dan Varland photo.
The peregrines on the runway are two images of the same bird, W/Z, taken on May 20, 2008. W/Z, a male, was one-year-old back then.
Featured with a two-page spread in the
2013 Coastal Raptors newsletter, W/Z is one of our most storied peregrines.
Dan Varland photo.
Mark Wilhyde photo.
Date: September 18, 2014
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Noel Ferguson, Dianna Moore and Pam McCauley.
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Dianna Moore with R/6, a first-year female Peregrine Falcon we captured and banded.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland measures tail length with help from Noel Ferguson.
Dianna Moore photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Getting a blood sample for contaminants testing.
Dianna Moore photo.