Notes from the Field (Winter 2016):
Date: February 24, 2016
Location: Grayland
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Nancy Gerard and Ina Rowley.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
7 adults,
6 immatures
|
1 |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/U |
Not long after our survey started, we ran across Bald Eagles feeding at a sea lion carcass north of Grayland. From several hundred yards away, we counted four adults and four immatures at the carcass. As we drove closer for better photos, most flew south to a creek a short distance away. A few stayed on to feed.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
These two immatures squabbled over a choice feeding site.
Tom Rowley photo.
At the best feeding sites, this adult was clearly dominant over the younger birds.
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.
South of the carcass, this creek offered fresh water for drinking and bathing.
Tom Rowley photo.
Two-year-old Bald Eagle.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Continuing on with our survey, we saw this banded Peregrine Falcon.
Tom Rowley photo.
A closer look at some of the photos revealed this was Z/U, a female Coastal Raptors
banded not far from this location on March 1, 2015.
Tom Rowley photo.
The survey crew post-survey. Left to right: Tom Rowley, Nancy Gerard, Dan Varland and Ina Rowley.
Date: February 16, 2016
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Chrissy Williams and Tom Rowley.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Merlin |
1 adult,
8 immatures
|
2 adults,
1 immature
|
1 age uncertain |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
P/7 |
Common Raven |
ROYLGS |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
National Weather Service map of heavy cloud cover/precipitation over the Washington coast and Olympic Peninsula on February 15, the day before our survey.
Bald Eagle with wings extended, drying feathers. After several days of rain, our February 16 survey marked a change in the weather to overcast with no rain. Surely Ocean Shores raptors welcomed the opportunity to dry out!
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.

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Another young Bald Eagle with wings extended.
Tom Rowley photo.

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This soggy eagle takes flight!
Tom Rowley photo.
Merlin drying tail feathers.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
We saw R/6, a one-year-old female Peregrine Falcon that we banded at Ocean Shores on September 18, 2014. Today's re-sighting marks the 38th since banding day; all have been at Ocean Shores.
Tom Rowley photo.
R/6 drying tail feathers.
Tom Rowley photo.
R/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
We also saw P/7, a first-year female Peregrine Falcon we banded at Ocean Shores on November 2, 2015. This was our first encounter with P/7 since we banded her. It was great to see her alive and well.
Tom Rowley photo.
P/7 about to cast a pellet.
Tom Rowley photo.
P/7.
Tom Rowley photo.
We ran across chainsaw carver James Harkett from Montana. James was in the area to sell his handiwork, including this wonderful seahorse!
Tom Rowley photo.
Peregrine Falcon taking a bath in runoff water along an access road to the beach. We could see this falcon was banded, but could not read the band's code.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
A highlight of our survey was seeing this pair of Common Ravens. Ravens mate for life and do not migrate. Males are larger than females. The larger bird on the right clearly is a male. The female is one of our banded ravens: ROYLGS. The acronym ROYLGS identifies the position of the color bands on her legs. Right leg = ROY = Orange over Yellow; Left leg = LGS = Gray over Silver. The gray band is missing, having been removed by the raven's powerful beak.
We banded ROYLGS on April 23, 2014 at Ocean Shores. This observation marks the 13 re-sighting since banding, all have been at Ocean Shores When she is re-sighted, her mate is usually not far away.
Tom Rowley photo.
These two showed behavior revealing that spring nesting is not far away. Tom captured photos of mutual preening, called "allopreening" in birds, and beak-to-beak contact, known as "beaking". These behaviors strengthen pair bonds between individuals.
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: January 30, 2016
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dennis and John Southard, Tim and Martha Cambridge, Pam McCauley, Dave Murnen, and Mary O'Neil.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
7 adults,
6 immatures
|
1 Adult |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/V |
Participating in his first raptor survey, John Southard measures wind speed and direction with the Coastal Raptors anemometer and compass.
Tim Cambridge photo.
Light showers and sunlight combined to create this wonderful rainbow.
Tim Cambridge photo.
Peregrine Falcon Z/V perched on a root wad.
Tim Cambridge photo.
John Southard looks through the spotting scope at Peregrine Falcon Z/V perched on a pole in the dunes; John's dad, Dennis, is in the background.
Dan Varland photo.
Z/V had a commanding view of the area from atop the pole.
Dan Varland photo.
We ran across this very tame coyote during the survey.
Tim Cambridge photo.
Tim Cambridge photo.
Unfortunately, we saw him (or her!) being fed by the people in this vehicle.
Tim Cambridge photo.
Date: January 28, 2016
Location: January 28, 2016
Observers: Dan Varland, Glenn Johnson, Ashley Sacco and Jim Deane.
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
P/5 |
Individuals Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/8 |
R/8, a first-year male Peregrine Falcon we captured and banded at the north end of the Long Beach Peninsula.
Jim Deane photo.
The bands.
Jim Deane photo.
R/6.
Jim Deane photo.
Ashley Sacco with R/6.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: January 18, 2016
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Sandra Miller, Tim and Martha Cambridge, Glenn Marquardt, Tom Rowley, and Mildred Chackerian.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Merlin |
2 adults,
5 immatures
|
1 Adult |
1 |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
C/4 |
At 4.2 miles north along the peninsula, we saw this two-year old Bald Eagle feeding on a bird carcass (probably a gull).
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Further on, at 20.6 miles north, we saw these two Bald Eagles: a two year old female and a first-year male. In Bald Eagles as with most raptors, females are larger than males.
Tom Rowley photo.
A little further north we ran across Russ Lewis, volunteer with Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, picking up beach debris.
Tom Rowley photo.
Russ headed south with a full load.
Tom Rowley photo.
Our tracks and the mouth of Willapa Bay at the north end of the 25-mile long peninsula.
Tom Rowley photo.
On the drive south we saw this Merlin perched on Bull Kelp.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: January 16, 2016
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Kerry Marl, Pam McCauley and Mike Walker.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
3 Adults,
5 immatures
|
2 Adults,
1 immature
|
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
U/5 |
We captured and banded this first-year male Peregrine Falcon. He holds the distinction of being the 200th peregrine that we have captured on the coastal beaches. This is our 21st year of surveys and banding!
Dan Varland photo.
This falcon had plumage characteristics and measurements consistent with the "Continental" or "American" subspecies,
Falco peregrinus anatum (lightly marked type, see Brian Wheeler's book
Raptors of Western North America, page 474).
Dan Varland photo.
We apply
black-over-blue visual identification bands to
Falco peregrinus anatum.
U/5 is only the 6th of 200 peregrine banded that we have identified to this subspecies (the vast majority of the peregrines we capture and band are the coastal "Peale's" subspecies,
Falco peregrinus pealei).
Dan Varland photo.
Mike Walker with U/5.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Date: January 4, 2016
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Jim Deane, Suzanne Staples, Karl Vogel, and Joe Jauquet.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
8 Adults,
3 Immatures
|
2 Adults,
1 immature
|
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
H/2 |
Peregrine Falcon |
H/7 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
M/6 |
Looking toward North Head, a headland at the south end of the Long Beach Peninsula.
Tom Rowley photo.
Sand dunes on Willapa National Wildlife Refuge at the north end of the Peninsula.
Tom Rowley photo.
Crab boat beyond the breakers.
Tom Rowley photo.
Suzanne Staples holds a first-year female Peregrine Falcon we captured.
Tom Rowley photo.
Suzanne Staples holds a first-year female Peregrine Falcon we captured.
Tom Rowley photo.
Peregrine Falcon M/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
Peregrine Falcon M/6.
Tom Rowley photo.
Karl Vogel photographed processing the bird.
Tom Rowley photo.
Feather sampling.
Karl Vogel photo.
Blood sampling
Karl Vogel photo.
M/6 after release.
Tom Rowley photo.
Date: January 2, 2016
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Gary Weiman and Dave Murnen.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
3 Adults,
3 Immatures,
1 Age Uncertain
|
2 Adults |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Raptors Banded:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Bald Eagle |
M/N |
First-year male Bald Eagle we captured for contaminants and disease testing. Left to right: Dave Murnen, Gary Weiman and Dan Varland.
Dan Miller photo.
This eagle will reach one year of age this spring. It will take another 3-4 years, with a feather molt each year, before he achieves the white head and tail of adult plumage. Over these years, his eye and beak color will transition to yellow.
Dan Miller photo.
The bands.
Dan Varland photo.
The release. In this video I indicate the eagle was a female. Bald Eagle females are larger than males, as is the case in most raptors. A closer examination of measurements taken indicated this eagle was relatively small and therefore a male.
Dan Varland video
Date: December 20, 2015
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Scott Horton, Rich Van Buskirk, and Bill Morgan.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
Northern Harrier |
5 adults,
3 immature,
1 age uncertain
|
1 Adult,
1 immature
|
1 age uncertain |
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
U/2 |
We re-captured U/2, a one-year-old male Peregrine Falcon we had banded not far from this location on
February 19, 2015.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Scott Horton with U/2.
Dan Varland photo.
U/2's left wing from below. Below and above, the wings retained a few brown feathers from the first-year, juvenile plumage.
Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Note the brown wing feathers in close to U/2's back.
Dan Varland photo.
Removing the hood.
Dan Varland video
Date: December 4, 2015
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Dave Murnen and Gary Wieman.
Raptor Count:
Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
4 Adults,
1 age uncertain
|
1 Adult,
1 age uncertain
|
Marked Individuals Observed:
Species |
Color Marker Code |
Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Peregrine Falcon |
Z/2 |
Dunlin resting on the beach.
Gary Wieman photo.
Peregrine Falcon R/6.
Gary Wieman photo.
R/6.
Gary Wieman photo.
R/6.
Gary Wieman video.
R/6 takes off after a shorebird flock. While she was unsuccessful in this attempt, we saw her feeding on a fresh shorebird kill later in the survey.
Dan Varland video