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.