November 30, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Tom Rowley, Albert Watters, and Maranda Beerbower.

Photos by Dan Varland. 

 

Raptor Count 

Bald Eagle	Northern Harrier
3 adults, 2 immatures	1 adult,  age uncertain

 

 

Marked Individuals Observed

Species	Color Marker Code
Bald Eagle	B/O

 

Bald Eagle with visual identification band B/O. Coastal Raptors banded this

eagle on June 12, 2015. 

...with a pause for a photo.

 

November 2, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Mary Kay Kenney, David Kenney, 

Susan Burchardt, and Stephanie Estrella.

Photos by Dan Varland. 

 

Raptor Count

Bald Eagle	Merlin	Peregrine Falcon	Northern Harrier
2 adults	1 age uncertain	1 immature, 1 age uncertain	2 age uncertain

 

Marked Individuals Observed

Species	Color Marker Code
Peregrine Falcon	35/B

Semipalmated Plover in nonbreeding plumage.

 

Dunlin flock. 

Stephanie Estrella holds a Cassin's Auklet we found flightless. Stephanie is a

licensed rehabilitator. She transferred to bird to her rehabilitation facility outside  

Olympia, Raindancer Wild Bird Rescue. From there it went to another facility 

for care. Unfortunately, the auklet was starving and did not survive (likely due to

organ failure). 

Cassin's Auklet. 

We came upon a rescue operation. 

 

This vehicle had turned over multiple times. 

The driver had been doing doughnuts on the beach. While, he was not injured 

his passengers, a woman and young girl, suffer injuries and were taken to a 

hospital. 

The vehicle was a total loss. 

 

November 1, 2018
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Sandra Miller, Will Dixon, Betsy Dixon, Mary Kay 

Kenney, David Kenney, and Glenn Marquardt. Photos by Dan Varland. 

 

Individuals Marked

Species	Color Marker Code
Peregrine Falcon	E/8

 

 

Will and Betsy Dixon with a first-year male Peregrine Falcon we captured, 

banded and blood sampled. 

 

Mary Kay Kenney gets a beak measurement. 

 

October 31, 2018
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Mary Kay Kenney, David Kenney, Glenn Marquardt, 

Dan Miller, Sandra Miller, Betsy Dixon, Will Dixon, Charlotte Killien, Steve 

Schneider, and Cathy Floit. 

Photos by Steve Schneider. 

 

Raptor Count

Bald Eagle	Northern Harrier
9 adults, 1 immature	1 age unknown

 

Sandra Miller measures wind speed and direction. 

Bald Eagle pair. The eagle on the right was banded. 

We were unable to read the visual ID band due to moisture 

creating poor visibility. 

We ran across this flightless Common Murre.

I grabbed the bird, and he grabbed me!

We transferred the bird to Herb in Ocean Park. 

Herb transferred the bird to another individual, who

transported it to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast,

a rehabilitation center south of Astoria, Oregon. 

Our survey group, which road in three vehicles. 

October 30, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Mary Kay Kenney, David Kenney, Tom Rowley and Denny Hieronymus.

Photos by Dan Varland. 

Individuals Marked

Species	Color Marker Code
Peregrine Falcon	35/B

 

First-year female Peregrine Falcon we captured, banded and blood sampled.

This peregrine was lacking pigment in two talons. 

 

 

Denny Hieronymus with 35/B just before the release. 

 

October 21, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Virginia Molenaar and Denny Hieronymus.

Photos by Dan, Virginia and Dave Murnen.

 

Raptor Count

Bald Eagle	Merlin	Peregrine Falcon	Northern Harrier
1 immature	1 age uncertain	1 immature	2 age uncertain

 

Individuals Marked

Species	Color Marker Code
Peregrine Falcon	U/6

Common Raven. He (or she!) was wearing bands, but we couldn't get a read

on them. 

This close-up of the picture above clearly shows he's carrying food, but does 

not reveal the bands. 

Merlin. 

 

Denny with our first capture of the fall, a first-year female

Peregrine Falcon. 

 

Blood sampling. 

 

Denny with U/6 just before her release. 

Date: October 13, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Pam McCauley, and Virginia Molenaar.

Comment: All photos by Dan Varland. 

Raptor Count*

Bald Eagle	Merlin	Peregrine Falcon	Northern Harrier
2 adults	2  age uncertain	1 immature	2 age uncertain

*we also saw an immature Cooper's Hawk, just not as part of the protocol 

survey. 

 

 

Marked Individuals Observed

Species	Color Marker Code
Common Raven	ROYLGS

 

Driving on the beach can be tricky, especially when you don't have 4-wheel drive! 

We do and we use it often!

Common Raven ROYLGS. Coastal Raptors banded this female on April 23, 

2014 a mile south of where this photo was taken. She's been observed on the 

Ocean Shores beach year-round, every year since.

 

Northern Harrier.

Cooper's Hawk. 

 

Fishing for surf perch. 

Fishing for salmon along the Copalis River a few hundred yards east of the ocean. 

Date: September 21, 2018
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Albert Watters, and Maranda Beerbower.

Comment: All photos by Dan Varland. 
Raptor Count

Bald Eagle	Peregrine Falcon	Merlin
7 adults, 5 immature	1 immature	1 age uncertain

 

 

Marked Individuals Observed

Species	Color Marker Code
Peregrine Falcon	D/8

Wonderful sunrise as we started our survey. 

Great Blue Heron. 

Crows feeding in the wrack line. 

 

...and surfing the internet with cell phone!

Geese headed south.

 

Date: September 15, 2018
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Denny Hieronymous, Heather Gorden, Sophie Chiang; 

Pat and Rama Hayes. 

 

 

Raptor Count

Peregrine Falcon
1 adult

Note: We saw a second, immature peregrine, but not during the "official" 

survey period.   

Peregrine Falcon perched atop a pickup! The Red-shouldered Hawk we saw on

survey at Ocean Shores earlier in the week was a first. Here was another! While 

the guys from this pickup were off fishing for Surf Perch, this peregrine took

to perching on their vehicle. We spent more than an hour trying to capture and 

band this peregrine, but to no avail. All photos by Dan Varland unless otherwise

noted. 

 

Dalin D'Alessandro (furthest left) of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network 

talks with people from our group and others gathered over an Elephant Seal 

carcass. Dalin and two other people from the Stranding Network had come

from Portland to do a necropsy on the animal in an effort to determine cause 

of death.   

Digging under the carcass in preparation for a tow. Dalin had enthusiastically 

accepted our offer to take the carcass to higher ground.   

We hoped the 4Runner to be up to the task.  Pat Hayes photo. 

And it was! Dalin thought the carcass weighed about 2,500 pounds. Pat Hayes 

photo. 

The 4Runner moved the hulk with ease. Pat Hayes photo. 

The animal opened up for the necropsy. The head and other organs were to be 

taken to Portland for further examination.   

Golden Plover.  Pat Hayes photo. 

Relaxing on the beach, Pacific Northwest style!   

Enjoying a bike ride between rain squalls.