Date: August 24, 2019
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dave Murnen, Denny Hieronymus, and Sandra Miller.
Photo by Dan Varland.
Raptor Count
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
| 2 adults, 1 age uncertain |
1 immature |
Marked Individuals Observed
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
U/O |
Beach walkers.
Date: August 16, 2019
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Dan Miller, Tom Rowley and Dianna Moore.
Photos by Dan Varland.
Raptor Count
| Species |
Count |
| Bald Eagle |
4 adults |
Marked Individuals Observed
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
B/O |
Bald Eagle with visual ID band B/O.
Coastal Raptors captured and banded this eagle on June 12, 2015. As with most
raptor species, males are smaller than females; measurements indicated this
eagle is a male. He was in adult plumage at the time of banding, so he was at least
four years old then and now is at least age nine. Today's sighting is the 116th;
all have been on the Ocean Shores study area. His perch today is 3.7 miles north
of the Damon Road access. Damon Road marks the north boundary of the city
of Ocean Shores. This particular perch happens to be the place where we saw
him perched on the day he was captured in 2015.
Date: July 17, 2019
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Nicholas Moir and Albert Watters.
Photos by Dan Varland.
Raptor Count
| Species |
Count |
| Bald Eagle |
4 adults |
Marked Individuals Observed
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Bald Eagle |
B/O |
Wind speeds averaged around 20 miles per hour during the survey, and this
wind sock in the dunes was an indication of that.
Thankfully, no one was inside this collapsed tent. By the way, camping on
the coastal beaches is not allowed by Washington State Parks.
Dog walking under adverse conditions.
Note the Utah license plate. Given that it's mid-July and our weather is known
to be sunny and beautiful at this time of year, he was probably not expecting the
conditions he found!
It also rained at times, as evidenced by this very soggy Bald Eagle!
A sand sculpture not yet taken by tidal waters.
Coyote.
He allowed us close approach, and was on the beach to feed on an Elephant
Seal carcass.
The Elephant Seal appeared to have been dead for some time.
Date: July 8, 2019
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland and Sandra Miller.
Photos by Dan Varland.
Raptor Count
| Bald Eagle |
Peregrine Falcon |
| 4 adults, 1 immature |
1 adult |
Marked Individuals Observed
| Species |
Color Marker Code |
| Peregrine Falcon |
R/6 |
Bald Eagle.
Bald Eagle lifts off from a perch of Bull Kelp.
Enjoying a morning walk.
Peregrine Falcon.
The falcon allowed close approach.
Banded!
R/6, a female Peregrine Falcon we banded on September 18, 2014 when she
was less than one year of age. That means she's five years old now.
Our sighting today marks the 59th since 2014 when she was banded; all have
been on the beach at Ocean Shores. It's surprising to see her on the beach in July.
This time of year adult peregrines are typically finishing up the nesting season,
feeding young that fledged in early June. Did she nest nearby? Maybe so but
it's miles to the nearest cliff, the usual nest site for coastal peregrines. On
June 10 she was photographed at Ocean Shores by Pat Hayes and Skip Radcliffe.
R/6 was also sighted the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2018 (just one time each
summer).
Western Sandpipers.
Date: June 21, 2019
Location: Ocean Shores
Observers: Dan Varland, Nicholas Moir, and Glenn Marquardt.
Raptor Count
| Species |
Count |
| Bald Eagle |
5 adults, 2 immatures |
One year old Bald Eagle.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife razor clam stock assessment.
Dan Varland photo.
Black-tailed Deer walking the dunes. Dan Varland photo.
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: Long Beach
Observers: Dan Varland, Clay Wilburn, Tom Rowley, and Pat Tollefson.
Raptor Count
| Bald Eagle |
Turkey Vulture |
| 10 adults, 5 immatures |
2 immatures |
Brown Pelican. Dan Varland photo.
Not long after the survey started we saw this Turkey Vulture atop a sea lion
carcass. Dan Varland photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Presumably this fisherman is on staff somewhere...when he's not fishing! Dan
Varland photo.
Beach walkers. Dan Varland photo.
One-year old Bald Eagle. Dan Varland photo.
Caspian Tern with visual ID bands. Dan Varland photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
Bald Eagles at a carcass with a Turkey Vulture looking on. Dan Varland photo.
The TV had a his own meal...
Dungeness Crab! Though officially considered raptors, Turkey Vultures do not
have sharp talons. They use their sharp beaks to break into carcasses.
A third Bald Eagle flew in. All three were two-year olds. Tom Rowley photo.
Conflict at the carcass. Tom Rowley photo.
Tom Rowley photo.
With time there was only one eagle on at the carcass, and it allowed close
approach. We were close enough to ID the carcass - a Western Grebe. Dan
Varland photo.
See the band! It wasn't until we left the eagle to his meal and drove away that
we became aware that the eagle was banded. (Thanks to Tom, who took a close
look at the images on his camera). Dan Varland photo.
Close-up, it's possible to read the numbers '1098-0'. In another photo, one not
as clear as this, the number "2" is visible, making the series '1098-02'. Without
the full set of numbers, it's not possible to positivley indentify this eagle. This
one was not banded by Coastal Raptors. We apply two bands on eagles, a silver
US Geological Survey-issued band like this eagle has plus a green visual ID
band. Dan Varland photo.
Snow Plover and Dungeness Crab carcass. We have observed Snowy Plovers
scavenge Dungeness Crabs though not in this case. Our presence caused him to
walk away from the crab. He's banded. Tom Rowley photo.
Same plover, showing the bands. Dan Varland photo.
Whale carcass. We saw four whale carcasses on the survey. Dan Varland photo.
Dan Varland photo.
Three-year old Bald Eagle. Dan Varland photo.
Four-year old Bald Eagle. Dan Varland photo.