WEEKLY UPDATE 7/22 – 7/28/2019
7/28/18 ›
This completes our weekly reporting of field activities in the Columbia Plateau region for 2019; we will continue to visit both Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir and the Blalock Islands in John Day Reservoir opportunistically through August, or until all Caspian terns have dispersed
7/22 – 7/28/19 ›
High counts of 7 loafing Caspian terns were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; Caspian terns are no longer digging nest scrapes along the shoreline of Goose Island, but are continuing to roost and loaf on Goose Island in small numbers (<10 individuals); because the breeding season for Caspian terns and gulls on Goose Island is nearly over, the field crew has started demobilization at the island, removing infrastructure including an observation blind, tunnel, and temporary passive nest dissuasion
WEEKLY UPDATE 7/15 – 7/21/2019
7/15 – 7/21/19 ›
High counts of 121 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 2,430 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; Caspian terns are no longer making nest scrapes along the shoreline of Goose Island, but are continuing to roost and loaf on Goose Island; Potholes Reservoir water levels continue to drop, but we are no longer adding passive tern nest dissuasion materials because the 2019 nesting season is drawing to a close; field crew has started removing flagging and will be disassembling the blind, tunnel, and temporary passive nest dissuasion in the coming week
7/15 – 7/21/19 ›
High count of about 43 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on a small island not previously used for tern nesting; no Caspian tern nest scrapes or eggs were discovered at this roost site, or elsewhere in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; all passive tern nest dissuasion materials have been removed from islands in northern Potholes Reservoir and monitoring has concluded for the 2019 nesting season
7/15 – 7/21/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; at the Blalock Islands complex in John Day Reservoir, high counts of 155 nesting Caspian terns, 44 attended tern nests, and 32 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 33 nesting Caspian terns and 4 tern nests were observed on North Rock; no Caspian tern adults, nests, or chicks were observed at the tern colonies on Shoal Island in Lenore Lake or on Harper Island in Sprague Lake, where successful fledging of young terns occurred in previous weeks
WEEKLY UPDATE 7/8 – 7/14/2019
7/8 – 7/14/19 ›
High counts of 136 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 3,650 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; water levels at the reservoir continued to drop and we expect increases in nest prospecting and egg-laying by Caspian terns on Goose Island as prospective tern nesting habitat along the shoreline increases; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent formation of a tern colony on Goose Island
7/8 – 7/14/19 ›
High count of about 50 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on a small island not previously used for tern nesting; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered at this roost site, or elsewhere in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in nest prospecting and egg-laying by Caspian terns in northern Potholes Reservoir coinciding with increases in available tern nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
7/8 – 7/14/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; at the Blalock Islands complex in John Day Reservoir, high counts of 244 nesting Caspian terns, 80 attended tern nests, and 90 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands, and an additional 3 loafing terns were observed on Rock Island; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 33 nesting Caspian terns, 12 attended tern nests, and 3 tern chicks were observed on North Rock and Shoal Island; on Harper Island in Sprague Lake, no Caspian terns (adults or chicks) were observed, with up to 10 tern chicks apparently successfully fledging from the colony; no other Caspian tern nesting or loafing sites in the Columbia Plateau region were visited this week
WEEKLY UPDATE 7/1 – 7/7/2019
7/1 – 7/7/19 ›
High counts of 76 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 4,475 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; two Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week, both were depredated by gulls soon after they were laid; water levels at the reservoir continued to drop and we expect increases in nest prospecting and egg-laying by Caspian terns on Goose Island as prospective tern nesting habitat along the shoreline increases; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent formation of a tern colony on Goose Island
7/1 – 7/7/19 ›
High count of 72 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on a small island not previously used for tern nesting; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in nest prospecting and egg-laying by Caspian terns in northern Potholes Reservoir coinciding with increases in available tern nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
7/1 – 7/7/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; at the Blalock Islands complex in John Day Reservoir, high counts of 291 nesting Caspian terns, 163 attended tern nests, and 117 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands, and an additional 27 loafing terns were observed on Rock Island and Sand Island; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 33 nesting Caspian terns, 11 attended tern nests, and 5 tern chicks were observed on North Rock; on Harper Island in Sprague Lake, high counts of 27 nesting Caspian terns, 6 attended tern nests, and 6 tern chicks were observed; no other Caspian tern nesting or loafing sites were visited this week
WEEKLY UPDATE 6/24 – 6/30/2019
6/24 – 6/30/19 ›
High counts of 73 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 4,400 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; two Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week, both were depredated by gulls soon after they were laid; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in tern nest prospecting and egg-laying on Goose Island as prospective tern nesting habitat along the shoreline increases; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/24 – 6/30/19 ›
High count of 19 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on the colony site used by terns in 2016; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in tern nest prospecting and egg-laying in northern Potholes Reservoir coinciding with the increases in available tern nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/24 – 6/30/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 380 nesting Caspian terns, 189 attended tern nests, and 129 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 25 nesting Caspian terns, 8 attended tern nests, and 8 tern chicks were observed on North Rock; 6 loafing Caspian terns were counted on the Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River
WEEKLY UPDATE 6/17 – 6/23/2019
6/17 – 6/23/19 ›
High counts of 48 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 4,900 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; four Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week, all were collected under permit; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in tern nest prospecting and egg-laying on Goose Island as prospective tern nesting habitat along the shoreline increases; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/17 – 6/23/19 ›
High count of 13 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on the colony site used by terns in 2016; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; water levels at the reservoir are dropping and we expect increases in tern nest prospecting and egg-laying in northern Potholes Reservoir coinciding with the increases in available tern nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/17 – 6/23/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 332 nesting Caspian terns, 170 attended tern nests, and 115 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands, and an additional 28 loafing terns were observed on Rock Island and Sand Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 39 nesting Caspian terns, 9 attended tern nests, and 10 tern chicks were observed on North Rock; no other Caspian tern nesting or loafing sites were visited this week
6/17 – 6/23/19 ›
Total of 3,787 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged and released at Rock Island Dam by Chelan County PUD during the 2019 out-migration; this concludes the PIT-tagging of steelhead at Rock Island Dam during the 2019 out-migration; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population; PIT tag recovery will commence once nesting birds leave their colonies in the coming months
WEEKLY UPDATE 6/10 – 6/16/2019
6/10 – 6/16/19 ›
High counts of 37 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 4,800 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; two Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week, one was depredated by a gull and the other was collected under permit; reservoir levels are continuing to drop, and we expect that tern nest prospecting and egg-laying on Goose Island will increase with the increase in prospective tern nesting habitat along the shoreline; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/10 – 6/16/19 ›
High count of 24 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on the colony site used by terns in 2016; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; reservoir levels continue to drop, and we expect that tern nest prospecting and egg-laying in northern Potholes Reservoir will increase with the increase in available tern nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/10 – 6/16/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 491 nesting Caspian terns, 183 attended tern nests, and 109 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands and an additional 31 loafing terns were observed on Southern Island, Rock Island, and Sand Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; water levels at the Blalock Islands continue to be highly variable, changing by nearly a foot at times; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 25 nesting Caspian terns and 20 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; high counts of 14 nesting Caspian terns and 0 attended tern nests were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake
6/8/19 ›
11 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 6/3 – 6/9/2019
6/3 – 6/9/19 ›
High counts of 13 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 5,200 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; reservoir levels are beginning to drop, and we expect that tern nest prospecting on Goose Island will increase with the increase in open habitat along the shoreline; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/3 – 6/9/19 ›
High count of 4 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on the colony site used by terns in 2016; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir this week; reservoir levels are beginning to drop, and we expect that tern nest prospecting in northern Potholes Reservoir will increase with the increase in available nesting habitat; placement of additional passive dissuasion and hazing of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing to prevent colony formation
6/3 – 6/9/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 453 nesting Caspian terns, 184 attended tern nests, and 67 tern chicks were observed on Long and Middle islands and an additional 14 loafing terns were observed on Southern Island and Sand Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; water levels at the Blalock Islands have been highly variable this week, mostly increasing throughout the week by nearly a foot; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 61 nesting Caspian terns and 43 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; high counts of 35 nesting Caspian terns and 15 attended tern nests were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake; high count of 44 loafing Caspian terns on Foundation Island in the mid-Columbia River; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Crescent Island, Badger Island, or Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River this week
5/30 – 6/7/19 ›
338 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 5/27 – 6/2/2019
5/27 – 6/2/19 ›
High counts of 3 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 6,700 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; reservoir levels continued to rise this week, inundating much of the shoreline habitat where terns were prospecting for nest sites; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/27 – 6/2/19 ›
No Caspian terns were observed prospecting for nest sites this week in northern Potholes Reservoir; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns in northern Potholes Reservoir (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/27 – 6/2/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 350 nesting Caspian terns and 175 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands and an additional 16 loafing terns were observed on Southern Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; this is a large decrease in both nesting adults and active tern nests at the Blalock Islands due to rising water levels inundating some nesting habitat; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 65 nesting Caspian terns and 48 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; high counts of 30 nesting Caspian terns and 10 attended tern nests were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Crescent Island, Badger Island, Foundation Island, or Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River this week
5/25 – 5/29/19 ›
399 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River between 5/25 and 5/29 by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 5/20 – 5/26/2019
5/20 – 5/26/19 ›
High counts of 2 loafing Caspian terns and ca. 4,500 nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; the reservoir level is rising, inundating much of the shoreline habitat where terns were prospecting for nest sites; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/20 – 5/26/19 ›
No Caspian terns prospecting for nest sites were observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/20 – 5/26/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 615 nesting Caspian terns and 312 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands and an additional two loafing terns were observed on Southern Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 75 nesting Caspian terns and 48 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Crescent Island, Badger Island, Foundation Island, or Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River
5/20 – 5/24/19 ›
388 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River between 5/20 -5/24 by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 5/13 – 5/19/2019
5/13 – 5/19/19 ›
High counts of 6 loafing Caspian terns and thousands of nesting ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; tern activity on the island decreased compared to previous weeks, likely due to placement of additional passive dissuasion and increased efforts to haze terns from the island; no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on Goose Island this week; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/13 – 5/19/19 ›
High count of 6 loafing Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir on or near the colony site used by terns in 2016; this week, no Caspian tern eggs were discovered in northern Potholes Reservoir; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/13 – 5/19/19 ›
Field crew continued weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 651 nesting Caspian terns and 304 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands and another 25 loafing terns were observed on other islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 75 nesting Caspian terns and 61 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; 6 loafing Caspian terns were counted on Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Crescent Island, Badger Island, or Foundation Island in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River
5/13 – 5/19/19 ›
1,077 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River this week by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 5/6 – 5/12/2019
5/6 – 5/12/19 ›
High counts of 34 Caspian terns and ca. 5,000 ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; most terns were observed loafing on East Rocks, a rocky islet just off the main island; 6 Caspian tern eggs were discovered (all depredated by gulls) on Goose Island this week; passive nest dissuasion materials were deployed at the sites where tern eggs were laid, namely on the SE, NW, and North Beach of the main island; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/6 – 5/12/19 ›
High count of 7 Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir at the colony site used by terns in 2016; this week, no Caspian tern eggs were discovered on the colony site used in 2016; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/6 – 5/12/19 ›
Field crew conducted weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 587 nesting Caspian terns and 242 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands and another 113 loafing terns were observed on other islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 108 nesting Caspian terns and 85 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Crescent Island, Badger Island, Foundation Island, or the Finley Islands in McNary Reservoir on the mid-Columbia River
5/6 – 5/12/19 ›
646 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River this week by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 4/29 – 5/5/2019
4/30/19 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir and the egg was subsequently depredated by a gull; passive nest dissuasion materials were deployed at the site; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
5/3 – 5/4/19 ›
Aerial reconnaissance survey of the mid-Columbia River, lower Snake River, and much of the Columbia Plateau region to assess the status of known, potential, and incipient colony sites for Caspian terns; Caspian terns were confirmed nesting at three sites on the Columbia Plateau region; ca. 500 Caspian terns and 172 attended nests were counted on three islands in the Blalock Islands complex in John Day Reservoir on the Columbia River; 88 Caspian terns and 26 attended nests were counted on North Rock in Lenore Lake; 15 Caspian terns and 7 attended nests were counted Harper Island in Sprague Lake; no nesting or loafing terns seen on Badger Island in the mid-Columbia River; a total of 122 Caspian terns were observed loafing at 9 other sites in the Columbia Plateau region
4/29 – 5/5/19 ›
High counts of 25 Caspian terns and ca. 5,000 ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; most terns were observed on the southwest beach of the main island; three Caspian tern eggs were discovered (2 collected under permit and one depredated by a gull) on Goose Island this week; passive nest dissuasion materials were deployed at the site; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing
4/29 – 5/5/19 ›
High count of 13 Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir at the colony site used by terns in 2016; this week, the first Caspian tern egg was discovered and collected (under permit) on the colony site used in 2016; passive nest dissuasion materials were deployed at the site; targeted active dissuasion of prospecting Caspian terns (i.e. walk-throughs, boat-based hazing, and use of a green laser) is ongoing; terns were not observed elsewhere in northern Potholes Reservoir
4/29 – 5/5/19 ›
Field crew conducted weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; high counts of 462 nesting Caspian terns and 150 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands and another 103 loafing terns were observed on Southern and Sand islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, high counts of 62 nesting Caspian terns and 23 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; high counts of 15 nesting Caspian terns and 7 attended tern nests were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake; no nesting or loafing Caspian terns were observed on Badger Island or Foundation Island in the mid-Columbia River or on Twinning Island in Banks Lake
4/29 – 5/5/19 ›
542 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River this week by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 4/22 – 4/28/2019
4/25/19 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on Middle Island in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; the water level at the Blalock Islands has been low so far this season, providing ample upland habitat for nesting terns at the site
4/22 – 4/28/19 ›
High counts of 20 Caspian terns and ca. 5,000 ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; most terns were observed on the East Rocks adjacent to Goose Island and were hazed from the site
4/22 – 4/28/19 ›
High count of 34 Caspian terns was observed this week in northern Potholes Reservoir at the colony site used by terns in 2016; passive dissuasion materials were installed, and active hazing efforts were increased to prevent tern nesting at this site; few terns have been observed elsewhere in northern Potholes Reservoir
4/22 – 4/28/19 ›
Field crew conducted weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; a high count of 436 nesting Caspian terns and 80 attended tern nests were observed on Long, Middle, Southern, Rock, and Sand islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, a high count of 22 nesting Caspian terns and 8 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; a high count of 11 nesting Caspian terns and 5 attended tern nests were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake; no other nesting Caspian terns were encountered during the surveys
4/22 – 4/28/19 ›
219 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River this week by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 4/15 – 4/21/2019
4/15/19 ›
An observation blind was installed near the Caspian tern colony on the Blalock Islands
4/15 – 4/21/19 ›
High counts of 7 Caspian terns and ca. 5,000 ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; terns were observed on the East Rocks, adjacent to Goose Island, and were hazed from the site; gulls continue to build nests and a total of four gull eggs have been observed on-colony so far this year; the irrigation system is functioning properly and the plants, particularly the yarrow and bitterbrush, are showing good signs of growth
4/15 – 4/21/19 ›
No Caspian terns or gulls were observed on Crescent Island in McNary Reservoir this week
4/15 – 4/21/19 ›
Field crew commenced weekly ground- and boat-based surveys of unmanaged sites in the Columbia Plateau region where Caspian terns displaced from former colonies on Goose and Crescent islands might attempt to nest; a high count of 104 nesting Caspian terns and 5 attended tern nests were observed on Long and Middle islands in the Blalock Islands complex, John Day Reservoir; at Lenore Lake, a high count of 51 nesting Caspian terns and 5 attended tern nests were observed on North Rock; 27 loafing Caspian terns were observed on Harper Island in Sprague Lake, 30 loafing terns were seen on Finley Island in McNary Reservoir, and 26 loafing terns were seen on Foundation Island in McNary Reservoir (these islands have served as loafing sites for terns in previous years); no Caspian terns were observed on Badger Island in McNary Reservoir
4/15 – 4/21/19 ›
167 steelhead smolts were PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on the mid-Columbia River this week by Chelan County PUD; these tagged fish will be used to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River population
WEEKLY UPDATE 4/8 – 4/14/2019
4/8/19 ›
Completed installation of tern passive nest dissuasion and infrastructure (blind and tunnels) on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir; installation of temporary passive dissuasion will continue along the shoreline at Goose Island and at selected locations in northern Potholes Reservoir as needed due to exposure of additional nesting habitat with receding reservoir levels in the coming months
4/8/19 ›
First visit to the Blalock Islands in John Day Reservoir; nesting Caspian terns and gulls observed on the islands; PIT tags sown on the tern and gull colony areas in order to estimate tag detection efficiency after the nesting season
4/9 – 4/10/19 ›
Site visits to Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir with representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation and Grant County PUD to discuss irrigation system and upcoming tern nest dissuasion and monitoring efforts
4/11/19 ›
First Caspian tern (1) observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir during the 2019 breeding season
4/11/19 ›
Completed installation of solar-powered irrigation system on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir; irrigation system used to test feasibility of planting plugs on Goose Island as a sustainable passive nest dissuasion measure at this former colony site
4/8 – 4/14/19 ›
One Caspian tern and ca. 4,000 ring-billed and California gulls were observed on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir this week; gulls continue to build nests and a total of four gull eggs have been observed on-colony so far this year
UPDATE 3/6 – 4/7/2019
3/6 – 3/7/19 ›
Field crew hiring, orientation, and training
3/11/19 ›
First visit to Crescent Island in McNary Reservoir; no loafing or nesting terns or gulls observed on the island
3/11/19 ›
First visit to Badger Island in McNary Reservoir; nesting gulls and American white pelicans observed on the island; no loafing or nesting terns observed on the island
3/13/19 ›
Site visit to Crescent Island in McNary Reservoir with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Walla Walla District to discuss island clean-up and efforts to prevent Caspian terns from nesting at this former colony site
3/19/19 ›
Site visit to Crescent Island in McNary Reservoir with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – McNary National Wildlife Refuge to discuss island clean-up and efforts to prevent Caspian terns from nesting at this former colony site
3/11 – 3/22/19 ›
Crescent Island clean up to remove t-posts, fencing materials, an observation blind, and other materials installed as part of the Inland Avian Predation Management Plan; the advent of complete vegetation cover on the island renders passive tern nest dissuasion materials no longer necessary to prevent terns from nesting on the island
3/26/19 ›
First visit to Lenore Lake; nesting gulls and double-crested cormorants observed on the island; no loafing or nesting Caspian terns observed on the island; PIT tags sown on the tern, gull, and cormorant colony areas in order to estimate tag detection efficiency after the nesting season
3/25 – 3/27/19 ›
Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) completed by new members of the field crew
3/28/19 ›
First visit to Island 20 in the mid-Columbia River; nesting ring-billed and California gulls observed on the island; PIT tags sown on the gull colony area in order to estimate tag detection efficiency after the nesting season
3/29/19 ›
First visit to Miller Rocks in The Dalles Reservoir; nesting gulls observed on the islands; PIT tags sown on the gull colony area in order to estimate tag detection efficiency after the nesting season
3/31/19 ›
First visit to Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir to inspect existing passive tern nest dissuasion materials; 4,000-4,500 loafing ring-billed and California gulls and no Caspian terns were observed on the island; Goose Island was inaccessible by boat until 3/29 due to Potholes Reservoir being frozen over
4/1/19 ›
First Caspian tern observed on the Columbia Plateau during the 2019 breeding season; one tern seen flying over Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
4/3/19 ›
First visit to Twinning Island in Banks Lake; nesting California gulls observed on the island; no loafing or nesting Caspian terns observed on the island; PIT tags sown on the tern and gull colony areas in order to estimate tag detection efficiency after the nesting season
4/5/19 ›
First gull egg (1) observed this season on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
4/1 – 4/7/19 ›
Installed new flagging and repaired old rope used as passive tern nest dissuasion on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir; transported irrigation materials to the site where 1,000 native vegetation plugs were planted as a feasibility study during the fall of 2018
