Notes from the Field (Summer 2015):
Date: August 14, 2015
Location: north side of Grays Harbor, 3 miles west of Hoquiam
Observers: Dan Varland, Jenny Fisher, Pam McCauley, and Tom Rowley.
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
AL |
| Turkey Vulture |
AY |
Individuals Marked:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Common Raven |
ROGLSG |
| Turkey Vulture |
BW |
Jenny Fisher with adult Turkey Vulture.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
We applied wing tag HE to the vulture.
Tom Rowley photo.
Vulture legs. Vultures are wing tagged rather than leg banded because they defecate on their legs. If they were banded, the material could accumulate between leg and band, with the potential for inflammation and injury.
Tom Rowley photo.
The team with our vulture near the trap site in Ed and Sue Wayman's yard: (L to R): Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Jenny Fisher and Pam McCauley.
Sue Varland photo.
Jenny Fisher releases the Turkey Vulture.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Common Raven.
Tom Rowley photo.
The pink mouth on our raven indicates this is a first-year bird.
Tom Rowley photo.
Our raven's color bands.
Tom Rowley photo.
Getting a blood sample for contaminants testing.
Tom Rowley photo.
Releasing the raven.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: July 11, 2015
Location: Hoquiam Wastewater Treatment Plant Treatment lagoon, Hoquaim, WA
Observers: Dan Varland, Jenny Fisher, Katie Lutz, and Tom Rowley
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
AL |
Individuals Marked:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
BV |
A Turkey Vulture feeds at a deer carcass we set out on the north side of the Hoquiam Wastewater Treatment Plant lagoon.
Tom Rowley photo.
We located our net launcher 13 feet from the carcass.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Working to remove our vulture from the net.
Tom Rowley photo.
Free at last! Left to right: Dan Varland, Jenny Fisher, Rick Johns and Katie Lutz.
Tom Rowley photo.
Drawing blood from a wing vein for contaminants and disease testing.
Tom Rowley photo.
The wing tag.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Jenny Fisher releases BV
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: June 15, 2015
Location: 0.4 mile south of the Grayland Beach Road access, Grayland, WA
Observers: Dan Varland, Nathalie Denis, Tom Rowley, and Dawn Bailey.
Marked Individuals Observed:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
BP |
Individuals Marked:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Turkey Vulture |
CA |
| Turkey Vulture |
AR |
| Turkey Vulture |
BY |
Using the net launcher, we captured 3 Turkey Vultures feeding at a Stellar Sea Lion carcass.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Nathalie Denis and I kept them from struggling under the net by covering them with blankets or towels.
Tom Rowley photo.
The trap (background), the carcass and the net with vultures secured.
Tom Rowley photo.
Next, Nathalie, Dawn Bailey and I moved on to the challenging process of untangling the birds from the net.
Tom Rowley photo.
The gray beak on this vulture, when apparent at this time of year, is characteristic of one-year-olds.
Tom Rowley photo.
The ivory-colored beak on this bird, when apparent at this time of year, is indicative of a vulture that is at least 2 years of age. We applied wing-tag CA to this vulture.
Tom Rowley photo.
Dawn releases CA.
Tom Rowley photo.
The weighing process; this bird weighed 1,703 grams, or 3.75 pounds.
Tom Rowley photo.
Releasing AR, a one-year-old.
Tom Rowley photo.
AR takes flight.
Tom Rowley photo.
Nathalie Denis with BY, another one-year-old.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
There were other vultures in the area because of the sea lion carcass. One of those was BP, a
Turkey Vulture we trapped on June 14, 2014 on the north side of Grays Harbor.
Ours was the eight re-sighting of BP since he was captured: all occurred in summer on the beach south of Grayland, six in 2014 and two in 2015.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: June 12, 2015
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Glen Marquadt; Glen Thompson and Sharon Thompson; Goeran, Pia and Henrik Estvall.
Raptors Banded:
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
B/O |
We saw this Bald Eagle perched near the ocean and decided to try to capture him for the
avian scavenger study.
Tom Rowley photo.
We snared him, but he landed in the water a short distance off shore.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
I went in after him.
Tom Rowley photo.
Henrik followed me to help secure the bird.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
We brought him ashore in fine shape.
Tom Rowley photo.
I was not so lucky, as he managed to grab my arm during the effort to secure him in the water.
Tom Rowley photo.
One of four talons was embedded in my forearm. It took a while to free him. I was left with a puncture wound that needed attention.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Pia administers first aid.
Tom Rowley photo.
All better... for the moment. After we processed the bird I went to an Urgent Care clinic where they cleaned the wound thoroughly, closed it with Steri-Strip bandages, and gave me a tetanus shot.
Tom Rowley photo.
Securing the US Geological Survey (USGS) band.
Tom Rowley photo.
Each leg has a band with information unique to this individual. The USGS holds number 629-51977. The green visual identification band allows recognition at a distance. For more background on Coastal Raptors research involving marking birds, go to
Marking Birds for Identification.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Henrik holds the eagle with his mom Pia and dad Goeran on either side. Glen and Sharon Thompson are the bookends. Traveling all the way from Sweden, the Estvalls were visiting the Thompsons on summer vacation. A trip to the beach on a Coastal Raptors survey was arranged by the Thompsons well in advance of their visit. This was a very special day for all of us.
Tom Rowley photo.
Henrik releases the eagle.
Date: June 4, 2015
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Nathalie Denis, Tom Rowley, and Mary O'Neil.
Bald Eagle at Elephant Seal carcass. We drove the beach looking for opportunities for
trapping eagles, ravens and vultures for the avian scavenger study. This location would have been good, except it was very near a well-traveled trail through the dunes.
Tom Rowley photo.
We followed these tracks to this Harbor Seal pup calling for mom.
Tom Rowley photo.
It is not uncommon for seal pups to strand on shore, separated from their mothers. They are usually reunited at a high tide.
Tom Rowley photo.
Seal pup
Tom Rowley photo.
The pup was painted by the Marine Mammal Stranding Network personnel, identifying it as a stranded pup.
Tom Rowley photo.
Long-billed Curlew. None of us had ever seen this species. What a beautiful bird!
Tom Rowley photo.
Long-billed Curlew
Tom Rowley photo.
Long-billed Curlew
Tom Rowley photo.
Bald Eagle.
Tom Rowley photo.
Bald Eagle with gull carcass.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: June 2, 2015
Location: Grayland
Observers: Varland, Dan Miller, and Tom Rowley.
Raptor Count:
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
3 adults,
3 immatures
|
1 immature |
Bald Eagle.
Tom Rowley photo.
We found someone stuck in the sand just off the access at Grayland Beach Road. We tried to pull him out but were not able to, due to the loose sand.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.