Weekly Update for 8/1 – 8/7/2011
8/1 – 8/7/11 ›
This completes our weekly reporting of field research activities on the Columbia Plateau for 2011
8/1 – 8/7/11 ›
PIT tag recovery carried out at Crescent Island Caspian tern colony, Goose Island (Potholes Reservoir) Caspian tern colony, Blalock islands Caspian tern colony, and Miller Rocks gull colony
8/1/11 ›
Commencement of PIT tag recovery at various piscivorous waterbird colonies on the Columbia Plateau
Weekly Update for 7/25 – 7/31/2011
7/25 – 7/31/11 ›
Final week of regular monitoring of piscivorous waterbird colonies on the Columbia Plateau in 2011
7/25 – 7/28/11 ›
All remaining Caspian terns raised at the colony on Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia have fledged; most double-crested cormorants raised at the colony on Foundation Island in the mid-Columbia River have fledged
7/25 – 7/28/11 ›
All remaining Caspian terns raised at the colony on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir have fledged; most double-crested cormorants raised at the colony in North Potholes Reserve have fledged
7/25 – 7/28/11 ›
A minimum of 50 Forster’s terns continue to be observed on a small rocky islet east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, many of which appear to be nesting
7/28/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; on Anvil Island a minimum of 1,000 nesting gulls (many with fledglings), 62 roosting double-crested cormorants, and 2 roosting American white pelicans; on Sand Island at least 41 roosting gulls, 19 roosting great egrets (including 7 fledglings), 15 roosting black-crowned night-herons (all 15 were fledglings), 11 roosting Caspian terns (including 1 fledgling), and 9 roosting great blue herons (including 7 fledglings); on small un-named island northwest of Anvil Island a minimum of 160 nesting gulls (many with fledglings), 6 roosting American white pelicans, and 1 roosting double-crested cormorant; on Rock Island 10 roosting gulls and 1 roosting American white pelican; on Big Blalock Island a minimum of 3 roosting American white pelicans and 1 roosting gull; on Little Blalock Island a minimum of 1 roosting American white pelican and 1 roosting gull
7/28/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; most California gulls and ring-billed gulls raised at the colony have fledged; 2 roosting American white pelican were also counted on the islands; zero roosting double-crested cormorants, 1 attended cormorant nest observed during previous weeks was no longer attended and appears to have failed
7/27/11 ›
Boat survey of Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau; ca. 100 double-crested cormorants (with chicks) and 4 American white pelicans counted on Harper Island; all remaining gulls raised at the colony on Harper Island appeared to have fledged; no Caspian terns were observed on or near Harper Island suggesting that any nesting attempts by terns at this site have failed
7/26/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 165 pelican chicks counted
7/26/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes; great egrets observed attending nests with chicks
Weekly Update for 7/18 – 7/24/2011
7/18 – 7/24/11 ›
Most Caspian terns raised at the colony on Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia have fledged; most double-crested cormorants raised at the colony on Foundation Island in the mid-Columbia River have fledged
7/18 – 7/24/11 ›
Most Caspian terns raised at the colony on Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir have fledged; most double-crested cormorants raised at the colony in North Potholes Reserve have fledged
7/18 – 7/24/11 ›
A minimum of 50 Forster’s terns continue to be observed on a small rocky islet east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, many of which appear to be nesting
7/22/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 80 pelican chicks counted
7/20/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; great blue herons, great egrets, and black-crowned night-herons attending nests with chicks
7/20/11 ›
16th boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 219 pelicans, 211 cormorants, and 8 terns counted on mid-Columbia River, and 17 pelicans, 17 cormorants, and 2 terns counted on lower Snake River
7/18/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; on Anvil Island a minimum of 2,325 nesting gulls (many with fledglings), 7 roosting double-crested cormorants, and 2 roosting American white pelicans; on Sand Island at least 21 roosting Caspian terns, 18 roosting American white pelicans, 16 roosting great egrets (including 15 fledglings), 11 roosting great blue herons (including 10 fledglings), and 9 roosting black-crowned night-herons (including 6 fledglings); on small un-named island northwest of Anvil Island a minimum of 277 nesting ring-billed gulls (many with fledglings), 6 roosting double-crested cormorants, and 4 roosting American white pelicans; on Rock Island 2 roosting American white pelicans; no piscivorous waterbirds counted on Little Blalock Island or Big Blalock Island
7/18/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with fledglings; 20 roosting double-crested cormorants, including 1 attended nest, were seen on Miller Rocks; 1 roosting American white pelican was also counted on the islands
Weekly Update for 7/11 – 7/17/2011
7/11 – 7/17/11 ›
Most Caspian terns raised at the colony on Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia have fledged; most double-crested cormorants raised at the colony on Foundation Island in the mid-Columbia River have fledged
7/11 – 7/17/11 ›
About 100 Forster’s terns observed on a small rocky islet east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, many of which appeared to be nesting
7/17/11 ›
15th boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 228 pelicans, 135 cormorants, and 27 terns counted on mid-Columbia River, and 77 pelicans and 25 cormorants counted on lower Snake River
7/15/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; on Anvil Island a minimum of 1,220 nesting gulls (many with fledglings), 63 roosting double-crested cormorants, 19 roosting American white pelicans, and 3 roosting Caspian terns; on Sand Island at least 68 roosting Caspian terns (including 1 fledgling banded on Crescent Island), 18 roosting black-crowned night-herons (including 17 fledglings), 18 roosting great egrets (both adults and fledglings), 11 roosting great blue herons (including 10 fledglings), 5 roosting American white pelicans, and 2 roosting Forster’s terns; on small un-named island northwest of Anvil Island a minimum of 130 nesting ring-billed gulls (many with fledglings) and 11 roosting American white pelicans; on Rock Island 24 roosting American white pelicans and 1 roosting California gull; on Big Blalock Island 2 roosting American white pelicans and 2 roosting California gulls; on Little Blalock island 3 roosting American white pelicans and 1 roosting California gull
7/15/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks; great blue herons, great egrets, and black-crowned night-herons also attending nests with chicks
7/15/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with fledglings; 25 roosting double-crested cormorants, including 1 attended nest, were seen on Miller Rocks, the first nesting record for cormorants at this site since 2006
7/13/11 ›
Survey of former gull colonies on the mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); more than 1,350 nesting California gulls (most with fledglings) and more than 300 nesting ring-billed gulls (most with fledglings) on Island 20; these counts are minimums because not all nesting gulls are visible from the water; 7 nesting great egrets (with chicks) and 1 nesting great blue heron (with chicks) also on Island 20; 105 California gulls on Island 18, but no nesting; 180 California gulls and 40 ring-billed gulls on Island 19, but no nesting
7/12/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 49 pelican chicks counted
Weekly Update for 7/4 – 7/10/2011
7/4 – 7/10/11 ›
More than 50 Forster’s terns observed on a small rocky islet east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, many of which appeared to be nesting
7/9/11 ›
Caspian terns nesting on Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir flushed from island by a prairie falcon early in the day and by 4 people that landed on the island (from a canoe) later in the day
7/8/11 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,850 California gulls (many of which were fledglings) and 25 nesting Caspian terns (3 with chicks) on Twining Island; ca. 1,150 ring-billed gulls (including fledglings) and 430 California gulls (including fledglings) were counted on Goose Island
7/7/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; on Anvil Island a minimum of 1,560 nesting California gulls (many with fledglings), 46 roosting ring-billed gulls, 17 roosting American white pelicans, 16 roosting Caspian terns (including 3 juveniles presumably fledged from the Crescent Island colony), 3 roosting great blue herons (including 1 fledgling), and 2 roosting double-crested cormorants; on Sand Island at least 41 roosting American white pelicans, 35 roosting black-crowned night-herons (all fledglings), 33 roosting Caspian terns, 9 roosting gulls, 4 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), and 4 nesting great egrets (with chicks); on small un-named island northwest of Anvil Island a minimum of 280 nesting ring-billed gulls (many with fledglings) and a minimum of 40 roosting California gulls
7/7/11 ›
Survey of former gull colonies on the mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); more than 2,000 nesting California gulls (most with fledglings) and more than 400 nesting ring-billed gulls (most with fledglings) on Island 20; these counts are minimums because not all nesting gulls are visible from the water; 10 nesting great egrets (with chicks) and 2 roosting black-crowned night-herons (both fledglings) also on Island 20; 135 gulls on Island 18, but no nesting; 650 gulls on Island 19, but no nesting
7/7/11 ›
Ben Sandford with NOAA Fisheries visited Crescent Island
7/6/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks; great blue herons, great egrets, and black-crowned night-herons also attending nests with chicks
7/6/11 ›
14th boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 363 pelicans, 350 cormorants, and 168 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 128 pelicans, 23 cormorants, and 2 terns counted on lower Snake River
7/5/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with fledglings; 14 nesting double-crested cormorants (2 attended nests) were seen on Miller Rocks, the first nesting record for cormorants at this site since 2006; also counted on islands were 7 roosting American white pelicans, 5 roosting double-crested cormorants, and 3 roosting Caspian terns
7/5/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 45 pelican chicks counted; Caspian tern colony on upstream end of island has failed presumably due to increased use of the tern colony area by nesting American white pelicans
Weekly Update for 6/27 – 7/3/2011
6/27 – 7/3/11 ›
More than 50 Forster’s terns observed on a small rocky islet east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, many of which appeared to be sitting in nests
7/2/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; on Anvil Island a minimum of 1,250 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 75 roosting ring-billed gulls, 17 roosting American white pelicans, 6 roosting Caspian terns, and 2 roosting double-crested cormorants; on Sand Island at least 12 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), 8 nesting great egrets (with chicks), 5 nesting black-crowned night herons (with chicks), 61 roosting American white pelicans, and 34 roosting Caspian terns; on small un-named island northwest of Anvil Island a minimum of 290 nesting ring-billed gulls (with chicks)
7/2/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks; 11 nesting double-crested cormorants (2 attended nests) were seen on Miller Rocks, the first nesting record for cormorants at this site since 2006; also counted on island were 52 roosting American white pelicans
7/2/11 ›
Surveys of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 42 pelican chicks counted; Caspian tern colony on upstream end of island has failed presumably due to increased use of the tern colony area by nesting American white pelicans
7/1/11 ›
First Caspian tern fledgling observed at Goose Island tern colony
7/1/11 ›
135 Caspian tern chicks captured and banded at Goose Island tern colony in Potholes Reservoir
6/30/11 ›
Ben Tice, Ken Fone, and Derek Fryer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Walla Walla District and Blaine Parker with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission visited Crescent, Badger, and Foundation islands
6/30/11 ›
Survey of former gull colonies on the mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); more than 1,500 nesting California gulls (with chicks) and more than 380 nesting ring-billed gulls (with chicks) on Island 20; these counts are minimums because not all nesting gulls are visible from the water; 8 nesting great egrets (with chicks), 5 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), and 1 roosting black-crowned night-heron on Island 20; 90 gulls roosting on Island 18, but no nesting; 130 gulls and 1 great egret roosting on Island 19, but no nesting; 5 nesting great blue herons (with chicks) on first island upstream of blue bridge between Pasco and Kennewick
6/29/11 ›
Cindy Boen, Michael Francis, and David Trachtenbarg with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Walla Walla District visited Foundation Island
6/29/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks; great blue herons, great egrets, and black-crowned night-herons also attending nests with chicks
6/27/11 ›
Thirteenth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 393 cormorants, 314 pelicans, and 86 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 297 pelicans, 24 cormorants, and 1 tern counted on lower Snake River
Weekly Update for 6/20 – 6/26/2011
6/20 – 6/26/11 ›
More than 50 Forster’s terns observed on a small rocky island east of Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, 30 of which appeared to be sitting in nest scrapes; possible incipient Forster’s tern colony site will be monitored in coming weeks to determine if terns lay eggs
6/25/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 930 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 9 roosting American white pelicans, and 4 roosting Caspian terns on Anvil Island; 17 nesting great egrets (with chicks), 9 nesting black-crowned night herons (with chicks), 7 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), and 58 roosting American white pelicans on Sand Island; 25 nesting ring-billed gulls (with chicks) observed at colony on island northwest of Anvil Island
6/25/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks; also counted on island were 22 roosting American white pelicans and 2 roosting Caspian terns; 21 nesting double-crested cormorants (2 attended nests) were seen on Miller Rocks, the first record of double-crested cormorants nesting on Miller Rocks in 2010, and the first nesting record for cormorants at this site since 2006, when 5 breeding pairs were successful in raising 3 young
6/23/11 ›
Bill Booth (Chairman of the Fish and Wildlife Committee), Jeff Allen, John Harrison, and Melissa Shavlik with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council visited Foundation Island
6/22/11 ›
Incipient Caspian tern colony at the upstream end of Badger Island failed; no terns seen attending nests at the site
6/22/11 ›
Twelfth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 210 cormorants, 129 pelicans, and 20 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 116 pelicans, 42 cormorants, and 1 tern counted on lower Snake River
6/21/11 ›
159 Caspian tern chicks captured and banded at Crescent Island tern colony; Ben Sandford (NOAA Fisheries) assisted with chick banding
6/21/11 ›
First Caspian tern fledgling observed at Crescent Island tern colony
6/21/11 ›
Surveys of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 20 pelican chicks counted; 8 Caspian terns counted in upland area on upstream end of island, all were attending nests; this is the first record of Caspian tern nesting on Badger Island since this study began in 1997
6/20/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks
Weekly Update for 6/13 – 6/19/2011
6/18/11 ›
Conclusion of PIT-tagging efforts on steelhead smolts at Rock Island Dam on the upper Columbia River; 7,803 steelhead PIT-tagged and scored for condition to investigate factors affecting avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the Upper Columbia River ESU
6/17/11 ›
Surveys of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 13 pelican chicks counted; 35 Caspian terns counted in upland area on upstream end of island, 14 of which were attending nests; this is the first record of Caspian tern nesting on Badger Island since this study began in 1997
6/17/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks
6/17/11 ›
Eleventh boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 270 cormorants, 120 pelicans, and 78 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 61 cormorants, 32 pelicans, and 7 terns counted on lower Snake River
6/16/11 ›
Ben Sandford with NOAA Fisheries visited the Goose Island Caspian tern colony
6/15/11 ›
Survey of Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau; ca. 1,500 nesting ring-billed gulls (with chicks) and 125 nesting double-crested cormorants (with chicks) counted on Harper Island; no Caspian terns were observed on or near Harper Island suggesting that any nesting attempts by terns at this site have failed
6/14/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,450 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 60 ring-billed gulls (nesting status unknown), 17 roosting American white pelicans, and 14 roosting double-crested cormorant on Anvil Island; second nesting attempt by Caspian terns on Anvil Island failed, first nesting attempt by Caspian terns failed on or before 20 May due to rising water levels flooding tern nests; 4 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), 3 nesting great egrets (with chicks), 3 nesting black-crowned night herons (with chicks), 72 roosting American white pelicans, and 5 roosting gulls on Sand Island; nesting ring-billed gulls observed at a newly formed colony on an island northwest of Anvil Island
6/14/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks; also counted on island were 32 loafing double-crested cormorants and 6 loafing American white pelicans
6/14/11 ›
Survey of former gull colonies on the mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); more than 1,400 California gulls (with chicks), more than 700 ring-billed gulls (with chicks) on Island 20; these counts are minimums because not all nesting gulls are visible from the water; 5 black-crowned night herons (with chicks), 5 great egrets, and 2 great blue herons (with chicks) nesting on Island 20; 39 California gulls and 3 ring-billed gulls roosting on Island 18, but no nesting; 190 California gulls and 1 great blue heron roosting on Island 19, but no nesting
Weekly Update for 6/6 – 6/12/2011
6/6 – 6/12/11 ›
811 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population; as was reported in the previous week, a high proportion of PIT-tagged steelhead show signs of gas bubble trauma
6/6 – 6/12/11 ›
Surveys of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 19 pelican chicks counted; 56 Caspian terns counted in upland area on upstream end of island, 33 of which were attending nests; this is the first record of Caspian tern nesting on Badger Island since this study began in 1997; egg-laying by terns has not been confirmed
6/10/11 ›
David Trachtenbarg with USACE – Walla Walla District visited the Goose Island Caspian tern colony and Rock Island Dam
6/10/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks
6/9/11 ›
All nesting attempts by California gulls on Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River have failed; the cause of nest failure is unknown, however, fresh raccoon tracks and evidence of human presence was observed on the island the previous week
6/9/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,300 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 34 roosting American white pelicans, 23 Caspian terns (5 attended nests), 17 roosting ring-billed gulls, and 6 roosting double-crested cormorant on Anvil Island; this is the second nesting attempt by Caspian terns on Anvil Island, previous nesting attempts by Caspian terns failed due to rising water levels flooding tern nests; 14 nesting great egrets (with chicks), 7 nesting great blue herons (with chicks), 6 nesting black-crowned night herons (with chicks), 85 roosting American white pelicans, and 4 roosting double-crested cormorants on Sand Island; nesting ring-billed gulls observed at a newly formed colony on an island northwest of Anvil Island
6/9/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks; also counted on the island were 7 loafing double-crested cormorants and 2 loafing American white pelicans
6/8/11 ›
First double-crested cormorant fledgling observed at Foundation Island cormorant colony
6/8/11 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,450 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 47 nesting Caspian terns (16 attended nests, no chicks), and 2 roosting double-crested cormorants counted on Twining Island; ca. 1,500 nesting gulls (with chicks) and 5 roosting double-crested cormorants counted on Goose Island
6/8/11 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 51 adult double-crested cormorants and 31 attended cormorant nests (with chicks) counted; also observed in the area were 14 adult great blue herons and 7 attended nests (with chicks)
6/8/11 ›
Tenth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 136 cormorants, 121 pelicans, and 82 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 313 pelicans, 47 cormorants, and 4 terns counted on lower Snake River
Weekly Update for 5/30 – 6/5/2011
5/30 – 6/5/11 ›
817 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population; associated with high spill at mainstem dams, a high proportion (75%) of PIT-tagged steelhead show signs of gas bubble trauma
5/30 – 6/5/11 ›
Last year at this time, the Goose Island Caspian tern colony in Potholes Reservoir was experiencing high nest failure (caused by a combination of unseasonably cool/wet weather and nest predation by mink and great horned owls), this has not occurred this year as evidenced by larger colony size and slower rate of decline in colony attendance this year as compared to last year
6/4/11 ›
Ninth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 134 cormorants, 84 pelicans, and 34 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 83 pelicans and 74 cormorants counted on lower Snake River
6/3 – 6/4/11 ›
Surveys of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and a minimum of 7 pelican chicks counted; 62 Caspian terns counted in upland area on upstream end of island, 33 of which were attending nests; this is the first record of Caspian tern nesting on Badger Island since this study began in 1997; egg-laying by terns has not been confirmed
6/2/11 ›
Survey of the much reduced Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls attending nests with chicks; fresh raccoon tracks and evidence of human presence was observed on the island, likely explaining the decline in size of the gull colony
6/1/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; cormorants attending nests with chicks; at least 1 cormorant egg depredated by common ravens during visit
5/31/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,750 nesting California gulls (with chicks), 41 roosting Caspian terns, 25 roosting ring-billed gulls, 9 roosting American white pelicans, and 1 roosting double-crested cormorant on Anvil Island; previous nesting attempts by Caspian terns on Anvil Island have failed due to rising water levels flooding tern nests; 12 nesting great egrets, 9 nesting great blue herons, 7 nesting black-crowned night herons, 57 roosting American white pelicans, and 8 roosting double-crested cormorants on Sand Island; ca. 300 nesting ring-billed gulls (with chicks) observed at a newly formed colony on an island northwest of Anvil Island
5/31/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks; also counted on the island were 42 loafing American white pelicans and 4 loafing double-crested cormorants
Weekly Update for 5/23 – 5/29/2011
5/23 – 5/29/11 ›
1,550 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
5/29/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting and the first pelican chicks observed; also observed on island were 50 Caspian terns in upland area on upstream end; Caspian terns observed digging nest scrapes and some terns appeared to be sitting on nests; egg-laying by terns has not been confirmed
5/28/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,000 nesting California gulls and 6 roosting American white pelicans on Anvil Island; Caspian terns that were previously nesting on Anvil Island have failed and abandoned the colony site; 14 nesting great blue herons, 10 nesting great egrets, 32 roosting American white pelicans, and 1 roosting black-crowned night heron counted on Sand Island; > 20 nesting ring-billed gulls observed on a newly surveyed island northwest of Anvil Island
5/27/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbirds nesting on Harper Island in Sprague Lake; ca. 1,500 nesting ring-billed gulls, 80 nesting double-crested cormorants, and 8 Caspian terns counted on island; nesting by Caspian terns could not be confirmed due to poor vantage from the boat of the area used by nesting terns
5/28/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls attending nests with chicks
5/28/11 ›
Survey of the much reduced Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls attending nests with chicks
5/25/11 ›
Eighth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 109 cormorants, 72 terns, and 56 pelicans counted on mid-Columbia River and 114 cormorants and 152 pelicans counted on lower Snake River
5/25/11 ›
Survey of Island 20 gull colony on mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); large numbers of nesting California gulls and ring-billed gulls; 6 great egrets, 3 black-crowned night herons, and 3 great blue herons nesting on island
5/25/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,084 cormorants and 759 attended nests counted on colony; counts are minimums due to some birds and nests not being visible as nesting trees leaf out; at least 1 cormorant egg depredated by common ravens during visit
5/23/11 ›
57 adult Caspian terns captured and banded with field-readable alphanumeric leg bands at the Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir tern colony
Weekly Update for 5/16 – 5/22/2011
5/16 – 5/22/11 ›
1,625 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
5/21/11 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,450 California gulls and 40 Caspian terns counted on Twining Island, both gulls and terns confirmed to be nesting at the site; ca. 950 ring-billed gulls and ca. 250 California gulls counted on Goose Island; both gull species confirmed nesting on island
5/20/11 ›
Aerial photo census to estimate numbers of piscivorous waterbirds (i.e., Caspian terns, gull spp., American white pelicans) at colonies on Miller Rocks, Crescent Island, and Badger Island in the mid-Columbia River, and Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir; counts of aerial photos will allow us to more accurately estimate the number of nesting piscivorous waterbirds
5/20/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls confirmed nesting
5/20/11 ›
Colony of Caspian terns on the Anvil Island failed (i.e., no sitting Caspian terns and no tern eggs in old nest scrapes at the site) presumably due to raising water levels in John Day Pool
5/19/11 ›
Seventh boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 214 cormorants, 86 pelicans, and 67 terns on mid-Columbia River and 224 cormorants, 177 pelicans, and 1 tern counted on lower Snake River during survey
5/18 – 5/19/11 ›
Aerial survey of mid-Columbia River, lower Snake River, and much of Columbia Plateau to check the status of known Caspian tern, double-crested cormorant, and gull colonies; checked sites of formerly active colonies of piscivorous waterbirds to determine occupancy; no new tern or cormorant colonies detected; new gull colony detected on un-named island in Blalock Islands
5/18/11 ›
First Caspian tern chick observed on Goose Island tern colony
5/17/11 ›
Incipient satellite colony of Caspian terns on cove beach at Crescent Island failed (i.e., no sitting Caspian terns and no tern eggs in old nest scrapes at the site) presumably due to raising water levels in McNary Pool
5/17/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting; also observed on island were 50 Caspian terns in upland area on upstream end; Caspian terns observed digging nest scrapes and some terns appeared to be sitting on nests; island will be closely monitored in the coming weeks to determine if terns lay eggs at the site
5/17/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,950 California gulls, 22 Caspian terns, and 36 ring-billed gulls counted on Anvil Island, both gulls and terns confirmed to be nesting at the site; 42 roosting Caspian terns, 23 nesting great blue herons, 11 nesting great egrets counted on Sand Island
5/17/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,012 cormorants and 770 attended nests counted on colony; counts are minimums due to some birds and nests not being visible as nesting trees leaf out; 2+ cormorant eggs depredated by common ravens during visit
Weekly Update for 5/9 – 5/15/2011
5/9 – 5/15/11 ›
1,500 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
5/9 – 5/15/11 ›
Two adult terns that were color-banded at East Sand Island last year were resighted and confirmed breeding at Columbia Plateau tern colonies this year, one at Crescent Island and the other at Goose Island; the adult tern on Crescent Island was a confirmed breeder on East Sand Island last year, the first observation of a breeding tern relocating from the East Sand Island colony to a colony on the Columbia Plateau
5/15/11 ›
Only one attended Caspian tern nest remains at a satellite colony (away from the main colony area) on the upper beach in the cove at Crescent Island, down from 6 attended nests the previous week; terns first attempted nesting at this satellite colony site on Crescent Island in 2010, but nesting attempts failed
5/14/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls and ring-billed gulls confirmed nesting; also observed on islands were 9 roosting American white pelicans and 2 roosting double-crested cormorants
5/14/11 ›
Gulls nesting on Miller Rocks flushed from nests by a boat that entered the lagoon between the islands
5/13/11 ›
30 adult Caspian terns captured and banded with field-readable alphanumeric leg bands at the Crescent Island tern colony
5/12/11 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 52 adult double-crested cormorants and 32 attended cormorant nests counted, cormorant chicks not observed; also observed in the area were 19 nesting great blue herons
5/10/11 ›
First Caspian tern chick observed on Crescent Island tern colony
5/10/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,100 gulls, 112 Caspian terns, 11 double-crested cormorants, and 2 American white pelicans counted on Anvil Island, both gulls and terns confirmed to be nesting at the site; 36 roosting Caspian terns, 19 nesting great blue herons, 9 nesting great egrets, 1 roosting American white pelican, and 1 roosting black-crowned night heron counted on Sand Island; terns roosting on suitable nesting habitat on Sand Island, site will be closely monitored in coming weeks to determine if terns attempt to nest at the site
5/10/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,095 cormorants and 834 attended nests counted on colony; counts are minimums due to some birds and nests not being visible as nesting trees leaf out; 3+ cormorant eggs depredated by common ravens during visit
5/9/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting; also observed on the island were 40 Caspian terns and 13 double-crested cormorants in upland area on upstream end; island will be closely monitored in the coming weeks to determine if terns or cormorants attempt to nest at the site
5/9/11 ›
Sixth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 137 cormorants, 125 terns, and 74 pelicans on mid-Columbia River and 125 cormorants and 117 pelicans counted on lower Snake River during survey
Weekly Update for 5/2 – 5/8/2011
5/2 – 5/8/11 ›
480 steelhead smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
5/2 – 5/8/11 ›
High count of 6 Caspian tern nests at a satellite colony (away from the main colony area) on the upper beach in the cove at Crescent Island; a total of 5 tern eggs have been laid at the site, 1 of which has been depredated; terns first attempted nesting at this satellite colony site on Crescent Island in 2010, but nesting attempts failed
5/8/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony on mid-Columbia River; American white pelicans confirmed nesting; accurate estimates of the number of nesting individuals will be based on counts of individuals in aerial photos taken later in the season
5/7/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls confirmed nesting by the thousands; accurate estimates of the number of nesting individuals will be based on counts of individuals in aerial photos taken later in the season; also observed on islands were 5 roosting American white pelicans and 5 roosting double-crested cormorants
5/6/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 950 gulls, 89 Caspian terns, and 7 Forster’s tern counted on Anvil Island, only gulls confirmed to be nesting at the site; 8 gulls roosting on a small island next to Big Blalock Island; 44 Caspian terns and 14 American white pelicans roosting and 18 great blue herons, 9 great egrets, and 5 black-crowned night-herons nesting on Sand Island; 3 roosting Franklin's gulls counted on Rock Island (site of former Caspian tern colony)
5/6/11 ›
Survey of Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River; California gulls confirmed nesting; estimates of the total number of nesting gulls at this colony in 2011 will not be determined as part of this project
5/6/11 ›
Survey of former gull colonies on the mid-Columbia River near Richland (WA); > 3,000 gulls, 21 black-crowned night herons, 15 great blue herons, 12 great egrets nesting on Island 20; 20 California gulls and 3 ring-billed gulls roosting on Island 18; but no evidence of gull nesting (the large gull colony on Island 18 was abandoned in 2008 due to a combination of coyote and human disturbance)
5/6/11 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on the east satellite colony on Goose Island (Potholes Reservoir)
5/4/11 ›
First double-crested cormorant chicks (7-9 days post-hatch) observed on North Potholes cormorant colony
5/4/11 ›
Fifth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers; a total of 108 cormorants, 48 pelicans, and 26 terns counted on mid-Columbia River and 165 cormorants and 120 pelicans counted on lower Snake River during survey
5/4/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,069 cormorants and 874 attended nests counted on colony; counts are minimums due to some birds and nests not being visible as nesting trees leaf out; 5+ cormorant eggs depredated by common ravens during visit
5/2/11 ›
First Caspian terns (10) seen this year on the satellite nesting colony east of the main Caspian tern colony on Goose Island (Potholes Reservoir)
Weekly Update for 4/25 – 5/1/2011
4/25 – 5/1/11 ›
168 steelhead PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
4/25 – 5/1/11 ›
Upland area at northern tip of Foundation Island where Caspian terns seen sitting in nest scrapes on 20 April has been abandoned
5/1/11 ›
Fourth boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on Columbia and Snake rivers; a total of 14 terns, 146 cormorants, and 24 pelicans counted on Columbia River and 62 cormorants and 86 pelicans counted on Snake River during survey
5/1/11 ›
Double-crested cormorants nesting on Foundation Island flushed from nests by a boat that landed on island
4/29/11 ›
One double-crested cormorant attending nest in trees on northwestern shore of Crescent Island; cormorants first attempted nesting on Crescent Island in 2010, but nesting attempts failed
4/28/11 ›
First visit to Harper Island in Sprague Lake; 77 double-crested cormorants and ca. 2,250 gulls counted on island, some nesting; no Caspian terns observed on island (site of former Caspian tern colony)
4/27/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 835 California gulls and 45 Caspian terns counted on Anvil Island, most nesting; one American white pelican and one double-crested cormorant loafing on Big Blalock Island; 5 California gulls, 6 American white pelicans, 5 Caspian terns, and 2 Franklin’s gulls loafing and 3 great blue herons, 3 great egrets, and 2 black-crowned night-herons nesting on Sand Island; no piscivorous waterbirds counted on Little Blalock Island or Rock Island (site of former Caspian tern colony)
4/27/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; > 3,000 nesting gulls (mostly California gulls) counted on islands; 2 roosting American white pelicans, 14 roosting double-crested cormorants, and one California brown pelican also counted on island; first record of a California brown pelican on mid-Columbia River since intensive colony monitoring began in 2000
4/26/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,108 cormorants and 895 attended nests counted on colony; counts are minimums due to some birds and nests not being visible as nesting trees leaf out; bald eagles observed in area and 8+ cormorant eggs depredated by common ravens during visit
4/26/11 ›
First double-crested cormorant chicks (3-7 days post-hatch) observed on Foundation Island cormorant colony
4/25/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony; 141 pelicans counted on or near island
Weekly Update for 4/18 – 4/24/2011
4/18 – 4/24/11 ›
60 steelhead PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
4/23/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony; 247 pelicans counted on or near island
4/22/11 ›
First Caspian tern egg (1) observed on Goose Island (Potholes Reservoir) tern colony
4/22/11 ›
Third boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on Columbia and Snake rivers; a total of 121 terns, 87 cormorants, and 15 pelicans counted on Columbia River and 94 cormorants and 59 pelicans counted on Snake River during survey
4/21/11 ›
First Caspian terns (8) observed on Twining Island (Banks Lake) tern colony
4/20/11 ›
41 Caspian terns counted in upland area on northern tip of Foundation Island; courtship behaviors observed and up to 5 terns appeared to be on nest scrapes; possible incipient tern colony site will be closely monitored in coming weeks to determine if terns lay eggs
4/20/11 ›
Up to 15 double-crested cormorants counted in trees on the northwestern shore of Crescent Island; one active cormorant nest observed; cormorants first attempted nesting on Crescent Island in 2010; all nesting attempts by cormorants (2-3) on Crescent Island in 2010 failed
4/19/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 1,287 cormorants and 913 attended nests counted on colony
Weekly Update for 4/11 – 4/17/2011
4/11 – 4/17/11 ›
7 steelhead PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population
4/15/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; > 1,000 nesting gulls (mostly California gulls) counted on islands; 7 roosting American white pelicans and 5 roosting double-crested cormorants also counted on islands
4/15/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 911 cormorants and 683 attended nests counted on colony
4/15/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 904 gulls, 54 Caspian terns, and 8 American white pelicans counted on Anvil Island, some gulls nesting; 2 American white pelicans loafing on Big Blalock Island; 37 gulls, 11 American white pelicans, and 24 Caspian terns loafing and 13 great blue herons and 4 great egrets nesting in trees on Sand Island; 5 gulls loafing on Rock Island (former site of a Caspian tern colony); no piscivorous waterbirds counted on Little Blalock Island
4/14/11 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on Crescent Island tern colony
4/14/11 ›
Survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony; 224 pelicans counted on or near island
4/12/11 ›
Second boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on Columbia River from mouth of Walla Walla River to Port of Benton, and on Snake River from confluence with Columbia River to Ice Harbor Dam; a total of 95 terns, 79 cormorants, and 25 pelicans counted on Columbia River and 72 cormorants and 2 pelicans counted on Snake River during survey
Weekly Update for 4/4 – 4/10/2011
4/10/11 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 545 gulls and 8 Caspian terns loafing on Anvil Island; 5 American white pelicans and 2 gulls loafing on Big Blalock Island; 18 double-crested cormorants loafing on Little Blalock Island; 60 gulls, 12 American white pelicans, and 23 Caspian terns loafing on Sand Island; Rock Island (site of former Caspian tern colony) not occupied by nesting or roosting birds
4/9/11 ›
Commencement of steelhead smolt PIT-tagging at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead from the threatened Upper Columbia population; 2 steelhead PIT-tagged during week
4/8/11 ›
First boat-based survey of off-colony distribution of foraging Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, and American white pelicans conducted on Columbia River from mouth of Walla Walla River to Port of Benton and on Snake River from confluence with Columbia River to Ice Harbor Dam; a total of 53 terns, 182 cormorants, and 17 pelicans counted during survey
4/7/11 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 810 cormorants and 567 attended nests counted on colony
4/7/11 ›
Survey of Miller Rocks gull colony on mid-Columbia River; several thousand gulls (mostly California gulls) counted on island; no nesting Caspian terns or double-crested cormorants observed
4/7/11 ›
Survey of Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River; several thousand gulls counted on island; 5 Caspian terns observed loafing on shore
4/6/11 ›
PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study on the Goose Island tern colony, Potholes Reservoir
4/4/11 ›
First Caspian terns (12) observed on West Goose Island tern colony, Potholes Reservoir; no terns counted at former satellite colony on the East Goose Island; no additional gull carcasses observed on Goose Island since the previous survey on 1 April
Weekly Update for 3/28 – 4/3/2011
4/3/11 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring double-crested cormorant colony at North Potholes; PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study; hundreds of cormorants observed on colony, some of which were incubating eggs
4/1/11 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; terns (3) observed in area but not on former colony; three recently killed gulls observed on island
4/1/11 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring gull colony on Miller Rocks in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study; hundreds of gulls observed on colony
4/1/11 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Blalock Islands in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study; Caspian terns (29) observed in the area, but not on former colony
Weekly Update FOR 3/21 - 3/27/2011
3/26/11 ›
First Caspian terns (12) observed on Crescent Island tern colony in mid-Columbia River
3/26/11 ›
Completed construction of observation blind at Foundation Island double-crested cormorant colony; completed preparations for monitoring double-crested cormorant colony on Foundation Island in mid-Columbia River
3/25/11 ›
Seasonal field crew began working in Columbia Plateau region
3/23/11 ›
First Caspian tern sighted at Potholes Reservoir; 1 Caspian tern observed near Goose Island; 10 recently killed gulls observed on shore of Goose Island
3/22/11 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Crescent Island in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
3/21/11 ›
First American white pelicans (36) observed on Badger Island in mid-Columbia River by project staff in 2011; because of presence of pelicans on island, no PIT tags were spread on-colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
3/21/11 ›
First double-crested cormorants recorded at the Foundation Island colony in the mid-Columbia River by project staff in 2011; ~ 200 cormorants in trees; PIT tags sown for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
3/21/11 ›
First Caspian terns sighted on mid-Columbia River by project staff in 2011; 2 Caspian terns observed near Crescent Island
