Weekly Update for 8/12 – 8/18/2013
8/12 – 8/18/13 ›
This completes our regular weekly reporting of field research activities in the Columbia River Plateau region for 2013
8/13/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery at piscivorous waterbird colonies in the Columbia Plateau region has been completed; this completes our weekly reporting of field research activities in the Columbia Plateau region for 2013
8/12 – 8/13/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the gull colony at Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River
Weekly Update for 8/5 – 8/11/2013
8/9 – 8/10/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the gull colony at Island 20 in the mid-Columbia River near Richland, WA
8/8/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the gull colonies at Crescent Island and the Blalock Islands in the mid-Columbia River
8/7/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the Caspian tern colony at Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia River
8/6/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the gull colony at Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia River
8/5/13 ›
Salmonid smolt PIT tag recovery conducted on the Caspian tern colony at Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
Weekly Update for 7/29 – 8/4/2013
Study sites in the Columbia Plateau region not visited
Weekly Update for 7/22 – 7/28/2013
7/22 – 7/28/13 ›
This was the final week of regular monitoring of piscivorous waterbird colonies in the Columbia Plateau region during 2013
7/25/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 200 adult Caspian terns counted on western portion of the island, including 1 active nest and 13 chicks; also observed on the island were American white pelicans, California gulls, and ring-billed gulls; terns and gulls have fledged young from the island this season
7/23/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 376 nesting California gulls (including at least 125 chicks) counted on the islands; also observed on islands were 2 great blue herons and 8 glaucous-winged/western gulls; a recent brush fire on Miller Island (located just downstream from Miller Rocks) did not affect nesting birds on Miller Rocks
7/23/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 14 nesting Caspian terns, including 4 chicks, and 80 nesting Forster’s terns, including 30 nests with chicks and eggs, counted on two small, unnamed islands between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 140 ring-billed gulls (adults and juveniles), 14 great egrets (adults and juveniles), 11 Caspian terns (adults and juveniles), 6 juvenile black-crowned night-herons, one juvenile great blue heron, and one adult American white pelican counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
7/22/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 35 adult Caspian terns counted, including about 23 active nests and 17 chicks; also observed on island were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, double-crested cormorants, ring-billed gulls, and California gulls; terns, gulls, egrets, and herons are nesting on the island
7/22/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 45 double-crested cormorants, and at least 34 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were great blue herons, black-crowned night-herons, great egrets, American white pelicans, and ring-billed gulls; cormorants and great blue herons are nesting on the island
7/22/13 ›
Waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 209 American white pelicans (adults and juveniles) counted on or near island
Weekly Update for 7/15 – 7/21/2013
7/21/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 166 adult Caspian terns counted on western portion of the island, including 2 active nests and 3 chicks; also observed on the island were double-crested cormorants, California gulls, and ring-billed gulls; terns and gulls nesting on the island
7/21/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 360 cormorants and ca. 110 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; most cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed, cause unknown; nesting near the cormorant satellite colonies were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons
7/18/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 14 adult Caspian terns counted, including about 13 active nests and 29 chicks; a minimum of 1,900 California gulls counted (adults and juveniles); also observed on island were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, American white pelicans, and ring-billed gulls; terns, gulls, egrets, and herons nesting on the island
7/18/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 64 double-crested cormorants, and at least 53 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were great blue herons, black-crowned night-herons, great egrets, Caspian terns, American white pelicans, and ring-billed gulls; cormorants and great blue herons nesting on the island
7/15/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 273 American white pelicans (adults and juveniles) counted on or near island; also observed on island were loafing ring-billed gulls, California gulls, and Caspian terns
Weekly Update for 7/8 – 7/14/2013
7/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 106 adult Caspian terns counted on the western portion of the island, including 10 active nests and 45 chicks; at least 3,400 gulls (adults and juveniles) and 15 adult double-crested cormorants also counted on island; California gulls and ring-billed gulls also nesting on the island
7/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 75 nesting California gulls with ca. 30 chicks and a minimum of 400 nesting ring-billed gulls with ca. 300 chicks present on the island; most of the young gulls produced on the island have fledged, hence the low number of adult and juvenile gulls counted on the island this past week relative to earlier weeks; also observed on island were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, great blue herons, and American white pelicans
7/13/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 21 nesting Caspian terns, including 3 chicks, and 100 nesting Forster’s terns, including 22 nests with eggs, counted on two small, unnamed islands between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 236 ring-billed gulls (adults and juveniles), 36 juvenile black-crowned night-herons, 20 great egrets (adults and juveniles), 12 great blue herons (adults and juveniles), 12 Caspian terns (adults and juveniles), and one adult American white pelican counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
7/13/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 1,630 nesting California gulls (including at least 400 chicks) counted on the islands
7/13/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 575 cormorants and ca. 235 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; most cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed, cause unknown; nesting near the cormorant satellite colonies were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons
7/12/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 8 adult Caspian terns counted, including about 21 active nests and 28 chicks; a minimum of 1,480 California gulls counted, including at least 500 chicks; also observed on island were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, great blue herons, American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, and ring-billed gulls
7/12/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 56 double-crested cormorants, and at least 73 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were great blue herons, black-crowned night-herons, Caspian terns, American white pelicans, and ring-billed gulls
7/9/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,300 California gulls (adults and juveniles) and 7 adult Caspian terns counted on Twining Island; all nesting attempts by terns on Twining Island failed, cause unknown; ca. 180 California gulls (adults and juveniles), 17 American white pelicans, and one great blue heron were counted on Goose Island in Banks Lake; large ring-billed gull colony on Goose Island has completely failed, cause unknown
7/9/13 ›
Survey of Lake Lenore on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; loafing gulls, double-crested cormorants, and Caspian terns observed on one small island in lake; no sign of gull nesting on any of the islands in the lake
7/9/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 261 adult American white pelicans, including about 48 chicks counted on or near island; also observed on island were loafing ring-billed gulls, California gulls, and Caspian terns
7/9/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 19 adult double-crested cormorants and 17 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted; nesting nearby were great blue herons
Weekly Update for 7/1 – 7/7/2013
7/7/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 23 nesting Caspian terns, including 4 chicks, and 108 nesting Forster’s terns, including 32 nests with eggs, counted on two small, unnamed islands between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 12 juvenile great blue herons and at least 2 active great blue heron nests, 8 nesting adult great egrets with at least 8 active nests and 17 chicks, 1 nesting adult black-crowned night-heron and 11 juveniles, 10 loafing California gulls, 5 loafing ring-billed gulls, and 5 loafing Caspian terns counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
7/6/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 40 adult Caspian terns counted, including about 73 active nests and 82 chicks; a minimum of 3,200 California gulls counted, including at least 1,000 chicks; also observed on island were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons
7/6/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 189 adult Caspian terns counted, including 12 active nests and 69 chicks, counted on the western portion of the island; at least 4,550 gulls nesting on island; east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; tern and gull nests contain chicks
7/6/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 830 cormorants and ca. 250 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; most cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed, cause unknown; nesting near the cormorant satellite colonies were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons
7/2 – 7/3/13 ›
Aerial survey of mid-Columbia River, lower Snake River, lower Clearwater River, and much of Columbia Plateau to check the status of known Caspian tern, double-crested cormorant, and gull colonies; David Trachtenbarg (USACE – Walla Walla District) accompanied us on the flight
7/2/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 103 double-crested cormorants, and at least 139 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were nesting great blue herons and roosting gulls
7/2/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 109 adult American white pelicans, including about 18 chicks counted on or near island; also observed on island were loafing ring-billed gulls, California gulls, and Caspian terns
7/2/13 ›
Mike Lesky (Bureau of Reclamation), Von Pope (Chelan County PUD), and Karina LeFave (high school student) visited Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
Weekly Update for 6/24 – 6/30/2013
6/30/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 8,000 nesting California gulls with ca. 6,500 chicks and a minimum of 3,000 nesting ring-billed gulls with ca. 2,000 chicks present on the island; ring-billed gulls nesting mostly on the downstream end of the island and California gulls nesting mostly on the upstream end; also observed on island were 2 great egrets (at least 1 active nest), 1 black-crowned night-heron (at least 1 active nest with chicks), and 4 great blue herons chicks
6/30/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 600 cormorants and ca. 312 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; most cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed, cause unknown; nesting near the cormorant satellite colonies were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons
6/29/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 237 Caspian terns counted, including about 162 active nests and 157 chicks; a minimum of 3,000 California gulls counted, including at least 1,900 chicks; also observed on island were 7 great egrets (at least 1 active nest with 3 chicks), 1 black-crowned night-heron (at least 1 active nest with 2 chicks), and 1 great blue heron (at least 1 active nest with 4 chicks)
6/29/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 140 adult Caspian terns counted, including 127 active nests and 126 chicks, entirely on west side of island; at least 4,325 gulls nesting on island; east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; tern and gull nests contain chicks
6/29/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 110 double-crested cormorants, and at least 168 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were 4 juvenile great blue herons, 3 black-crowned night-herons, 1 great egret, 75 loafing gulls, and 42 loafing American white pelicans
6/29/13 ›
People observed walking on Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 1,000 gulls and 50 terns flushed from the colony during disturbance
6/28/13 ›
First Caspian tern fledgling observed on Goose Island tern colony in Potholes Reservoir
6/28/13 ›
152 Caspian tern chicks captured and banded at Goose Island tern colony in Potholes Reservoir
6/27/13 ›
169 Caspian tern chicks captured and banded at Crescent Island tern colony in mid-Columbia River
6/27/13 ›
Simba Chan and Vivian Fu with BirdLife Asia and Yat-tung Yu with the Hong Kong Birdwatching Society assisted with chick banding on the Crescent Island tern colony in mid-Columbia River, for which we are grateful
6/26/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 35 nesting Caspian terns (about 15 active nests with 8 chicks) and 115 nesting Forster’s terns (about 52 active nests with eggs) counted on two small unnamed islands between Anvil Island and Sand Island; Caspian terns nesting on the east island and Forster’s terns nesting on both the east and middle islands; 5 nesting great egrets (at least 11 active nests with chicks), 1 nesting great blue heron (at least 17 active nests with chicks), 23 loafing California gulls, 6 loafing American white pelicans, and 2 loafing Caspian terns counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
6/25/13 ›
First Caspian tern fledgling observed on Crescent Island tern colony in mid-Columbia River; exact date of first fledging likely on or just before 23 June
6/25/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 95 American white pelicans counted on or near island; also observed on island were 35 loafing ring-billed gulls, 25 loafing California gulls, and 1 loafing Bonaparte’s gull
Weekly Update for 6/17 – 6/23/2013
6/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 2,561 California gulls (including at least 1,139 chicks) and about 28 ring-billed gulls (at least 12 active nests with chicks) nesting on the islands
6/23/13 ›
Fish PIT tag deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Miller Rocks in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
6/21/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 99 nesting Caspian terns (about 15 active nests with chicks) and 61 nesting Forster’s terns (about 18 active nests) counted on small unnamed island between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 6 nesting great egrets (6 active nests with chicks), 3 nesting great blue herons (18 active nests with chicks), 22 loafing California gulls, 12 loafing Caspian terns, 12 loafing American white pelicans, and 5 loafing ring-billed gulls counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
6/21/13 ›
Fish PIT tag deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Blalock islands in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
6/21/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,150 cormorants and ca. 422 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons; one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; many cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed recently, cause unknown
6/20/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 309 Caspian terns counted, including about 268 active nests and 242 chicks; a minimum of 4,000 California gulls counted, including at least 3,000 chicks; also observed on island were 4 black-crowned night-herons (at least 2 active nests with 5 chicks), 2 great egrets (at least 2 active nests with chicks), and 1 great blue heron
6/20/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 148 double-crested cormorants, and at least 231 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were 10 juvenile great blue herons (at least 6 active nests), 3 black-crowned night-herons, and one loafing American white pelican
6/19/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 270 adult Caspian terns counted, including 191 active nests and 149 chicks, entirely on west side of island; at least 4,075 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; tern and gull nests contain chicks
6/18/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 875 nesting California gulls (including at least 400 active nests and 54 chicks) and a minimum of 840 nesting ring-billed gulls (including at least 310 active nests and 68 chicks) counted on island; about 121 nesting double-crested cormorants, including ca. 100 active nests and 180 chicks, counted on island; 5 loafing American white pelicans present on the island; no Caspian terns observed on or near the island (site of a former Caspian tern colony)
6/17/13 ›
First double-crested cormorant fledgling observed at Foundation Island cormorant colony
6/17/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 182 American white pelicans counted on or near island
Weekly Update for 6/10 – 6/16/2013
6/15/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,400 nesting California gulls (at least 500 active nests with chicks) and 65 nesting Caspian terns (13 active nests) counted on Twining Island; ca. 500 nesting California gulls (at least 150 active nests), 3 nesting great blue herons (3 active nests with chicks), 3 nesting black-crowned night-herons (3 active nests), 3 loafing Caspian terns, one loafing double-crested cormorant, and one loafing American white pelican were counted on Goose Island in Banks Lake; large ring-billed gull colony on Goose Island has completely failed, cause unknown
6/15/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 30 adult double-crested cormorants and 25 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted; nesting nearby were great blue herons
6/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 330 Caspian terns counted, including about 286 active nests; a minimum of 3,800 California gulls counted, including at least 2,500 chicks; also observed on island were ca. 30 ring-billed gulls (at least 10 active nests), 4 great blue herons (at least 2 active nests), 2 black-crowned night-herons (at least 2 active nests with chicks), 1 great egret (at least 2 active nests with chicks), and 2 loafing double-crested cormorants; tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
6/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 299 adult Caspian terns counted, including 205 active nests and 161 chicks, entirely on west side of island; at least 5,000 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; tern and gull nests contain chicks
6/14/13 ›
Fish PIT tag deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
6/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 125 American white pelicans counted on or near island; an injured, flightless bald eagle remains on the island and is believed to have had an impact on the number of pelicans using the island in 2013
6/13/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 8,000 nesting California gulls with ca. 6,000 chicks and a minimum of 3,000 nesting ring-billed gulls with ca. 2,000 chicks present on the island; ring-billed gulls nesting mostly on the downstream end of the island and California gulls nesting mostly on the upstream end; also observed on island were 2 great egrets (at least 2 active nests with chicks), 2 black-crowned night-herons (at least 2 active nests with chicks), 1 great blue heron (at least 2 active nests with chicks), 3 loafing double-crested cormorants, and 1 loafing American white pelican
6/13/13 ›
Fish PIT tag deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Island 20 in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
6/12/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 151 double-crested cormorants, and at least 275 active cormorant nests present; most cormorant nests have chicks, some of which were unattended by an adult; also observed on island were 5 great blue herons (at least 7 active nests with chicks), 11 loafing ring-billed gulls, 6 loafing black-crowned night-herons, 4 loafing American white pelicans, and 3 loafing Caspian terns
6/10/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 91 nesting Caspian terns (about 25 active nests with eggs) and 108 nesting Forster’s terns (about 18 active nests) counted on small unnamed island between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 10 nesting great egrets (10 active nests with chicks), 6 nesting great blue herons (11 active nests with chicks), 9 loafing Caspian terns, 10 loafing ring-billed gulls, and 2 loafing California gulls counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
6/10/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 2,150 California gulls (at least 1,115 active nests with chicks) and about 55 ring-billed gulls (at least 16 active nests with chicks) nesting on the islands
6/10/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Three Mile Canyon Island, mid-Columbia River; no nesting by gulls or any other ground-nesting birds (e.g., Canada geese) observed on island; all nesting attempts by California gulls on Three Mile Canyon Island failed in 2011 due to unknown causes
6/10/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,107 cormorants and ca. 492 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were great egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and great blue herons); one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; many cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed recently, cause unknown
6/10 – 6/16/13 ›
97 steelhead smolts and 75 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River this week to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations; this brings the total numbers of steelhead smolts and yearling Chinook smolts PIT-tagged and released so far this season to 5,895 and 5,765, respectively; this completes our PIT–tagging efforts at Rock Island Dam in 2013
Weekly Update for 6/3 – 6/9/2013
6/7/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 401 Caspian terns counted, including about 331 active nests; a minimum of 3,900 California gulls counted, including at least 2,000 active nests; also observed on island were ca. 30 ring-billed gulls (at least 10 active nests), ca. 10 great egrets (at least 4 active nests), ca. 6 black-crowned night-herons (at least 3 active nests with chicks), and one loafing double-crested cormorant; tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
6/7/13 ›
Curt Dotson, Cindy Inch, and Jeff Grizzel from Grant County PUD visited Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
6/6/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 341 adult Caspian terns counted, including 268 active nests and 136 chicks, entirely on west side of island; at least 5,000 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; also observed on the island were 5 nesting Canada geese with 8 goslings, 5 loafing double-crested cormorants, and one loafing American white pelican; most tern and gull nests contain chicks
6/6/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 9,000 nesting California gulls with ca. 6,300 chicks and a minimum of 3,500 nesting ring-billed gulls with ca. 2,100 chicks present on the island; ring-billed gulls nesting mostly on the downstream end of the island and California gulls nesting mostly on the upstream end; also observed on island were about 8 great egrets (at least 8 active nests with chicks), 4 great blue herons (at least 5 active nests with chicks), 19 black-crowned night-herons, and 3 American white pelicans
6/5/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 49 nesting Caspian terns (about 26 active nests, at least 4 nests confirmed with one egg each) counted on small unnamed island between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 12 nesting great egrets (8 active nests with chicks), 8 nesting great blue herons (9 active nests with chicks), 9 loafing Caspian terns, 8 loafing American white pelicans, 5 loafing ring-billed gulls, and 3 loafing California gulls counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island and Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the islands, including the large gull colonies on each island
6/5/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 1,000 nesting ring-billed gulls (at least 230 active nests), a minimum of 740 nesting California gulls (at least 100 active nests), about 263 nesting double-crested cormorants (ca. 150 active nests), 4 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and one loafing American white pelican present on the island; no Caspian terns observed on or near the island (site of a former Caspian tern colony)
6/4/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 165 American white pelicans counted on or near island, up from ca. 74 counted the previous week; also observed on the island were 50 loafing ring-billed gulls, 40 loafing California gulls, and 11 loafing Caspian terns
6/4/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 162 double-crested cormorants, and at least 290 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were 5 great blue herons (8 active nests with chicks), 41 loafing American white pelicans, 26 loafing Caspian terns, and 2 loafing Forster’s terns; most cormorant nests have chicks, some of which were unattended by an adult
6/4/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,050 cormorants and ca. 390 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were 170 great egrets (224 active nests), 41 black-crowned night-herons (23 active nests), and 22 great blue herons (20 active nests); one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown; many cormorant nests in the main cormorant colony have also failed recently, cause unknown
6/3 – 6/9/13 ›
327 steelhead smolts and 428 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River this week to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations; this brings the total numbers of steelhead smolts and yearling Chinook smolts PIT-tagged and released so far this season to 5,798 and 5,690, respectively
Weekly Update for 5/27 – 6/2/2013
6/2/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; 399 adult Caspian terns (313 attended nests and 131 chicks) counted, entirely on west side of island; at least 6,000 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; also observed on the island were 7 nesting Canada geese with 8 goslings, 5 loafing double-crested cormorants, and 2 loafing gadwalls; tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
6/1/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 473 Caspian terns counted, including about 346 active nests; a minimum of 3,200 California gulls and at least 2,000 active nests present; also observed on island were ca. 30 ring-billed gulls (at least 30 active nests), ca. 9 black-crowned night-herons (at least 4 active nests with chicks), ca. 8 great egrets (at least 8 active nests), and ca. 2 great blue herons (at least 4 active nests with chicks); tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
6/1/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 74 American white pelicans counted on or near island, down significantly from ca. 150 counted on 9 May; rising water levels in McNary Pool that greatly reduced roosting habitat, emerging vegetation that obstructs our view of the interior portions of the island, and the presence of an injured bald eagle on the island since 25 April may explain the lower counts of pelicans on the Badger Island colony during the past few weeks; also observed on the island were 107 loafing California gulls, 7 loafing Caspian terns, and 2 loafing Forster’s terns
6/1/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 1,700 California gulls (at least 855 active nests with chicks) and about 68 ring-billed gulls (at least 32 active nests with chicks) nesting on the islands
6/1/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 207 double-crested cormorants, and at least 290 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were 7 great blue herons (8 active nests with chicks), 18 loafing Caspian terns, 7 loafing Forster’s terns, 6 loafing American white pelicans, and 4 loafing black-crowned night-herons; most cormorant nests have chicks, some of which were unattended by an adult
6/1/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,000 cormorants and ca. 495 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were 130 great egrets (92 active nests), 23 great blue herons (21 active nests), and 18 black-crowned night-herons (11 active nests); one of the satellite cormorant colonies (satellite colony A) has completely failed, cause unknown
5/31/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 59 nesting Caspian terns (about 20 active nests, no eggs confirmed) counted on small unnamed island between Anvil Island and Sand Island; 16 nesting great blue herons (16 active nests with chicks), 6 nesting great egrets (6 active nests), 31 loafing Caspian terns, 10 loafing American white pelicans, 1 loafing California gull, and 1 loafing black-crowned night-heron counted on Sand Island; emergent vegetation on Anvil Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the island, including the large California gull colony found there; emergent vegetation on Straight Six Island make it difficult to count the total number of waterbirds utilizing the island, including the large ring-billed gull colony found there
5/30/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,700 nesting California gulls (ca. 1,050 active nests with chicks), 50 nesting Caspian terns (7 active nests), and 13 nesting ring-billed gulls (2 active nests) counted on Twining Island; ca. 900 ring-billed gulls (ca. 400 active nests), ca. 350 nesting California gulls (ca. 145 active nests), 6 nesting great blue herons (5 active nests, at least one with a chick), and 3 nesting black-crowned night-herons (2 active nests) were counted on Goose Island in Banks Lake
5/30/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 43 adult double-crested cormorants and 26 attended cormorant nests with chicks counted; nesting nearby were 189 great blue herons (27 active nests with chicks)
5/30/13 ›
Ben Sandford (NOAA Fisheries) visited Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir
5/28/13 ›
GPS-tagging study at Goose Island Caspian tern colony on Potholes Reservoir completed; 28 Caspian terns were fitted with GPS transmitters to determine the foraging areas of active breeders from the Goose Island tern colony; more in-depth analysis of these results will be made available in a subsequent report
5/27 – 6/2/13 ›
1,042 steelhead smolts and 844 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River this week to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations; this brings the total numbers of steelhead smolts and yearling Chinook smolts PIT-tagged and released so far this season to 5,469 and 5,258, respectively
Weekly Update for 5/20 – 5/26/2013
5/25/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 30 American white pelicans counted on or near island, down significantly from ca. 150 counted on 9 May; rising water levels in McNary Pool may have reduced pelican roosting habitat at the Badger Island colony
5/24/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 5 nesting great egrets (4 active nests), 39 loafing Caspian terns, 11 loafing Bonaparte’s gulls, 8 loafing American white pelicans, 4 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and 1 loafing ring-billed gull counted on Sand Island; a minimum of 1,500 nesting California gulls (at least 600 active nests), ca. 500 loafing gulls (mostly California gulls), 44 loafing Caspian terns, and one loafing American white pelican counted on or just offshore of Anvil Island; a minimum of 1,200 ring-billed gulls nesting on Straight Six Island
5/24/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 1,600 California gulls (at least 670 active nests) and about 35 ring-billed gulls (at least 5 active nests) nesting on the islands
5/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 286 double-crested cormorants, and at least 287 active cormorant nests present; also observed on island were 7 great blue herons (3 active nests with chicks), 11 loafing American white pelicans, 7 loafing Forster’s terns, 6 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and 4 loafing Caspian terns; most cormorant nests have chicks
5/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 534 Caspian terns counted, and as many as 400 attended nests; a minimum of 3,800 California gulls and at least 1,500 attended gull nests present ; also observed on island were ca. 50 ring-billed gulls (at least 15 active nests), ca. 50 black-crowned night-herons (at least 13 active nests with chicks), ca. 12 great egrets (at least 4 active nests), and ca. 5 great blue herons (at least 2 active nests); tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
5/22/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 9,100 nesting California gulls (at least 3,700 active nests) and a minimum of 3,000 nesting ring-billed gulls (at least 1,200 active nests) present on the island; ring-billed gulls nesting mostly on the downstream end of the island and California gulls nesting mostly on the upstream end; also observed on island were about 16 great egrets (at least 6 active nests), 2 black-crowned night-herons (at least 1 active nest), and 1 great blue heron
5/21/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; a minimum of 1,500 nesting ring-billed gulls (at least 800 active nests), ca minimum of 1,200 nesting California gulls (at least 800 active nests), about 200 nesting double-crested cormorants (ca. 140 active nests), 19 loafing American white pelicans, and 1 loafing Forster’s tern present on the island; no Caspian terns observed on or near the island (site of a former Caspian tern colony)
5/21 – 5/26/13 ›
27 of the 28 Caspian terns that were GPS-tagged at the Goose Island – Potholes breeding colony were confirmed to have active nests (eggs or chicks) throughout the life of the tags, which ranged from 6 hours to at least 4 days; data on foraging tracks were retrieved from 23 of the 28 GPS-tagged terns; in total, 52 complete bird-days and 10 partial bird-days of data were collected from 19 and 4 GPS-tagged terns, respectively; preliminary results indicate that terns from the Goose Island colony foraged in or near Potholes Reservoir (12 tagged individuals, all confirmed breeding), on the mid-Columbia River (10 tagged individuals, all confirmed breeding), and on the Snake River (3 tagged individuals, 2 confirmed breeding and one non-breeding); this is the first confirmation that some Caspian terns nesting on Goose Island are commuting to the Snake River to forage; this is also the first confirmation that nesting Caspian terns can forage as far as 92 km from their nest site, straight-line distance
5/20/13 ›
53 Caspian terns captured and banded on the Goose Island tern colony on Potholes Reservoir; 28 of these terns were also fitted with GPS transmitters to determine the foraging areas of active breeders from the Goose Island tern colony
5/20 – 5/26/13 ›
High count during the week of 469 Caspian terns, including about 342 active nests, on the Goose Island tern colony, Potholes Reservoir; tern nests contain eggs and chicks; all active Caspian tern nests so far this season are on the western part of the island
5/20 – 5/26/13 ›
1,493 steelhead smolts and 916 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River this week to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations; this brings the total numbers of steelhead smolts and yearling Chinook smolts PIT-tagged so far this season to 4,429 and 4,414, respectively
Weekly Update for 5/13 – 5/19/2013
5/19/13 ›
Aerial photo census to estimate numbers of piscivorous colonial waterbirds (i.e., Caspian terns, gull spp., American white pelicans) nesting at colonies on Miller Rocks, Blalock Islands, Crescent Island, Badger Island, and Island 20 in the mid-Columbia River, and Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir; counts of aerial photography will allow us to more accurately estimate the number of nesting piscivorous waterbirds at each of these colonies
5/18/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 367 double-crested cormorants counted, and 328 active cormorant nests; also observed on island were 4 great blue herons (5 active nests with chicks), 14 loafing Forster’s terns, 3 loafing American white pelicans, and 2 loafing black-crowned night-herons; most cormorant nests have chicks
5/18/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,530 cormorants and ca. 805 attended cormorant nests counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were 208 great egrets (163 active nests), 42 great blue herons (41 active nests), and 43 black-crowned night-herons (32 active nests)
5/17/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; high counts of 512 adult Caspian terns and 330 attended Caspian tern nests, entirely on west side of island; ca. 5,000 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; also observed on the island were 8 nesting Canada geese with goslings; tern and gull nests contain eggs and a few chicks have hatched
5/15 – 5/16/13 ›
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; David Trachtenbarg (USACE – Walla Walla District) accompanied us on the flight
5/15/13 ›
First Caspian tern chick observed on Goose Island tern colony
5/14/13 ›
67 adult Caspian terns captured and banded with field-readable alphanumeric leg bands at the Crescent Island tern colony
5/13 – 5/19/13 ›
High count during the week of 712 Caspian terns, including about 396 active nests, on the Crescent Island tern colony, mid-Columbia River; tern nests contain eggs and a few chicks have hatched
5/13 – 5/19/13 ›
1,051 steelhead smolts and 1,545 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations
Weekly Update for 5/6 – 5/12/2013
5/11/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 29 nesting great blue herons (20 active nests), 13 nesting great egrets (8 active nests), 52 loafing Caspian terns, 11 loafing American white pelicans, 8 loafing ring-billed gulls, 4 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and 2 loafing California gulls counted on Sand Island; ca. 1,250 nesting California gulls (ca. 575 active nests), ca. 2,350 loafing gulls (mostly California gulls), 85 loafing Caspian terns, and one loafing Forster’s tern counted on or just offshore of Anvil Island; ca. 1,200 nesting ring-billed gulls (ca. 500 active nests), 78 nesting California gulls (38 active nests), and 2 loafing Caspian terns counted on Straight Six Island; banded Caspian tern seen roosting on Sand Island also confirmed nesting on Crescent Island eight days earlier, 60 river km up-river
5/11/13 ›
Fish deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Anvil Island in the Blalock Island complex in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
5/11/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 2,000 nesting California gulls (ca. 800 active nests), 43 nesting Caspian terns (10 active nests, one with an egg, and 2 loafing common terns counted on Twining Island; ca. 850 ring-billed gulls (ca. 215 active nests), ca. 600 nesting California gulls (ca. 250 active nests), 16 nesting great blue herons (15 active nests), and 10 nesting black-crowned night-herons (6 active nests) were counted on Goose Island; 19 loafing Caspian terns were counted on an unnamed island in the southwest portion of the lake
5/11/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 49 adult double-crested cormorants and 42 attended cormorant nests counted; nesting nearby were 29 great blue herons (28 active nests, some with chicks)
5/10/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 5,000 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; 237 adult Caspian terns and 233 attended nests counted, entirely on west side of island; also observed on the island were 7 nesting Canada geese with goslings; most tern nests contain eggs and most gull nests contain eggs or chicks
5/10/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; ca. 3,100 nesting California gulls (ca. 1,730 active nests) and 35 nesting ring-billed gulls (5 active nests) counted on island
5/10/13 ›
Fish deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Miller Rocks in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
5/9/13 ›
First Caspian tern chick observed on Crescent Island tern colony; the chick was approximately 2-days old
5/9/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 467 double-crested cormorants counted, and 338 active cormorant nests; also observed on island were 7 great blue herons (7 active nests with chicks) and 2 loafing American white pelicans; many cormorant nests have chicks
5/9/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 153 American white pelicans counted on or near island; also observed on sandy spit at the downstream end of the island were 85 loafing California gulls and 40 loafing Caspian terns
5/8/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,160 cormorants and ca. 750 attended cormorant nests counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were 192 great egrets (95 active nests), 50 great blue herons (35 active nests), and 44 black-crowned night-herons (25 active nests)
5/7/13 ›
Survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,150 nesting ring-billed gulls (ca. 840 active nests), ca. 880 nesting California gulls (ca. 625 active nests), and ca. 175 nesting double-crested cormorants (ca. 155 active nests) were counted on the island; no Caspian terns observed on or near the island (site of a former Caspian tern colony)
5/6/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 479 Caspian terns counted, 325 attending nests; ca. 4,235 California gulls counted, ca. 1,565 attending nests; also observed on island were 43 black-crowned night-herons, 9 great egrets (5 active nests), and 5 great blue herons (4 active nests); tern and gull nests contain eggs and chicks
5/6/13 ›
Fish PIT tag deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Crescent Island in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
5/6 – 5/12/13 ›
988 steelhead smolts and 921 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations
Weekly Update for 4/29 – 5/5/2013
5/5/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; ca. 8,000 nesting California gulls (ca. 3,200 active nests), ca. 4,000 nesting ring-billed gulls (minimum of 1,000 active nests), counted on the island; ring-billed gulls nesting mostly on the downstream end of the island and California gulls nesting mostly on the upstream end; also observed on island were 25 great egrets (15 active nests), 6 great blue herons (4 active nests), and 2 black-crowned night-herons (2 active nests)
5/5/13 ›
Fish deposition study conducted on the California gull colony at Island 20 in the mid-Columbia River; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT tags are deposited on-colony; PIT tags also sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
5/4/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,920 nesting California gulls (ca. 450 active nests) and 21 nesting Caspian terns (2 active nests) counted on Twining Island; ca. 500 ring-billed gulls (ca. 75 active nests), ca. 375 nesting California gulls (ca. 50 active nests), 9 nesting great blue herons (4 active nests), and 4 nesting black-crowned night-herons (2 active nests) were counted on Goose Island
5/4/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 58 adult double-crested cormorants and 33 attended cormorant nests counted; nesting nearby were 29 great blue herons (25 active nests)
5/3/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 586 Caspian terns counted, 324 attending nests; ca. 4,835 California gulls counted, ca. 1,740 attending nests; also observed on island were 12 black-crowned night-herons (2 active nests), 7 great blue herons (5 active nests), and 2 great egrets (2 active nests); most tern and gull nests contain 3 eggs
5/3/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 4,050 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; 319 adult Caspian terns and 123 attended nests counted, entirely on west side of island; also observed on the island were 9 nesting Canada geese, 17 loafing American avocets, 3 American crows, one snow goose, and one mallard; most tern and gull nests contain eggs
5/3/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 500 double-crested cormorants counted, as well as 386 active cormorant nests; also observed on island were 7 great blue herons (7 active nests), 9 loafing Forster’s terns, 8 loafing Caspian terns, 2 loafing American white pelicans, and one loafing black-crowned night-heron; many cormorant nests have chicks
5/3/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 234 American white pelicans counted on or near island; also observed on sandy spit at the downstream end of the island were 130 loafing California gulls and 22 loafing Caspian terns
5/2/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; ca. 1,060 cormorants and ca. 760 attended cormorant nests counted on colony; nesting near the cormorant colony were 85 great egrets (53 active nests), 42 black-crowned night-herons (23 active nests), and 35 great blue herons (33 active nests)
5/2/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 18 nesting great blue herons (13 active nests), 12 nesting great egrets (6 active nests), 20 loafing California gulls, 18 loafing Caspian terns, 5 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and 3 loafing American white pelicans counted on Sand Island; ca. 1,990 nesting California gulls (ca. 700 active nests), ca. 1,300 loafing gulls (mostly California gulls), 72 loafing Caspian terns, and 2 loafing American white pelicans counted on or just offshore of Anvil Island; ca. 1,340 nesting ring-billed gulls, 7 loafing Caspian terns, 6 loafing California gulls, and 3 loafing Forster’s terns counted on Straight Six Island; one loafing ring-billed gull counted on Rock Island
4/29 – 5/5/13 ›
258 steelhead smolts and 824 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations
Weekly Update for 4/22 – 4/28/2013
4/27/13 ›
First double-crested cormorant chick (ca. 7 days post-hatch) observed on Foundation Island cormorant colony; the count of active cormorant nests on Foundation Island was 363, the highest so far this season
4/26/13 ›
Survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,600 nesting ring-billed gulls (ca. 100 active nests), ca. 600 nesting California gulls (ca. 70 active nests), ca. 180 nesting double-crested cormorants (ca. 155 active nests), 32 Canada geese (some nesting), and 7 mallards were counted on the island; no Caspian terns observed on island (site of former Caspian tern colony) or elsewhere on the lake
4/25 – 4/26/13 ›
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 piscivorous waterbird colonies detected; Jim Mital (USACE – Walla Walla District) accompanied us on the flight
4/25/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 4,250 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; 205 adult Caspian terns and 35 attended nests counted, entirely on west side of island; most tern and gull nests contain eggs
4/25/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Island 20, mid-Columbia River; ca. 12,000 nesting gulls counted on the island; ring-billed gulls present on the southern portion of the island and California gulls present on the northern portion; also observed on island were 52 black-crowned night-herons (18 active nests), 20 great egrets (9 active nests), and 14 great blue herons (3 active nests)
4/24/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 461 Caspian terns counted, 184 attending nests; ca. 4,750 California gulls counted, ca. 1,950 attending nests; also observed on island were 18 black-crowned night-herons (6 active nests), 8 great egrets (2 active nests), and 3 great blue herons (3 active nests); most tern and gull nests contain eggs
4/24/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 429 double-crested cormorants counted, 322 attending nests; also observed on island were 11 great blue herons (8 active nests), 34 loafing Caspian terns, and 4 loafing American white pelicans
4/24/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 271 American white pelicans counted on or near island; this week, pelicans were observed on the sub-colony at the upstream end of the island for the first time this season; no Caspian terns observed on island
4/24/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 957 cormorants and 669 attended cormorant nests counted on colony; this cormorant colony appears considerably smaller than in 2012, when up to 992 active cormorant nests were counted; nesting near the cormorant colony were 63 black-crowned night-herons (18 active nests), 36 great blue herons (32 active nests), and 18 great egrets (2 active nests)
4/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 93 loafing black-crowned night-herons, 20 nesting great blue herons (11 active nests), 17 loafing gulls (both ring-billed gulls and California gulls), 14 loafing Caspian terns, 6 loafing American white pelicans, and 5 nesting great egrets (5 active nests) counted on Sand Island; ca. 1,800 nesting California gulls (ca. 450 active nests) and ca. 1,350 loafing gulls (mostly California gulls) counted on or just offshore of Anvil Island; ca. 1,200 gulls (mostly ring-billed gulls, some nesting) counted on Straight Six Island; 4 loafing ring-billed gulls counted on Rock Island (site of former Caspian tern colony)
4/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Miller Rocks, mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,600 nesting California gulls (ca. 370 active nests) and 25 loafing ring-billed gulls counted on island
4/23/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Three Mile Canyon Island, mid-Columbia River; no nesting by gulls or any other ground-nesting birds (e.g., Canada geese) observed on island; all nesting attempts by California gulls on Three Mile Canyon Island failed in 2011 due to unknown causes
4/22 – 4/28/13 ›
86 steelhead smolts and 454 yearling Chinook salmon smolts PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on mid-Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations
Weekly Update for 4/15 – 4/21/2013
4/21/13 ›
Survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 2,000 nesting gulls (both California and ring-billed gulls) and 169 nesting double-crested cormorants (110 attended nests) were counted on the island; no Caspian terns observed on island (site of former Caspian tern colony) or elsewhere on the lake
4/20/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 3,700 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; 163 adult Caspian terns and 12 attended nests counted, entirely on west side of island
4/20/13 ›
Survey of Banks Lake on the Columbia Plateau off the mid-Columbia River; ca. 1,450 California gulls (some nesting) and 13 loafing Caspian terns counted on Twining Island; ca. 750 gulls (mostly ring-billed gulls, some nesting), 10 nesting great blue herons, and 4 nesting black-crowned night-herons were counted on Goose Island
4/20/13 ›
Survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 52 adult double-crested cormorants and 29 attended cormorant nests counted; nesting nearby were 16 great blue herons (13 active nests)
4/19/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 384 Caspian terns counted, 44 attending nests; ca. 6,200 California gulls counted, ca. 2,100 attending nests; also observed on island were 2 black-crowned night-herons and 6 double-crested cormorants
4/19/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 458 cormorants counted, 342 attending nests; also observed on island were 2 great blue herons (2 active nests), 32 loafing Caspian terns, and 2 loafing American white pelicans
4/19/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Badger Island, mid-Columbia River; 243 American white pelicans counted on or near island; no pelicans were on the sub-colony at the upstream end of the island; no Caspian terns observed on island
4/18/13 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on Goose Island tern colony, Potholes Reservoir
4/18/13 ›
Survey of piscivorous waterbird colonies in Blalock Islands, mid-Columbia River; 105 nesting gulls (both ring-billed gulls and California gulls), 2 nesting great blue herons, 10 loafing Caspian terns, and one loafing American white pelican counted on Sand Island; ca. 2,700 gulls (mostly California gulls, some nesting) counted on Anvil Island; ca. 1,400 gulls (mostly ring-billed gulls, some nesting) counted on Straight Six Island; no birds observed on Rock Island (site of former Caspian tern colony)
4/18/13 ›
Commencement of fish PIT tag deposition study on the California gull colony at Anvil Island in the Blalock Islands; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which PIT tags in consumed fish are deposited on-colony
4/17/13 ›
Survey of North Potholes double-crested cormorant colony; 979 cormorants and 642 attended cormorant nests counted on colony; this cormorant colony appears considerably smaller than in 2012, when up to 992 active cormorant nests were counted; nesting near the cormorant colony were 35 black-crowned night-herons (19 active nests) and 31 great blue herons (27 active nests)
4/15 – 4/21/13 ›
40 steelhead and 218 yearling Chinook PIT-tagged at Rock Island Dam on Columbia River to investigate avian predation on juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon from the Upper Columbia populations
Weekly Update for 3/26 – 4/14/2013
4/14/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; ca. 3,500 gulls nesting on island, east side of island dominated by nesting California gulls and west side of island dominated by nesting ring-billed gulls; 101 adult Caspian terns counted, entirely on west side of island
4/14/13 ›
Commencement of PIT tag fish deposition study on the California gull colony at Crescent Island; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT-tagged fish are deposited on-colony
4/13/13 ›
Commencement of PIT tag fish deposition study on the California gull colony at Island 20; 100 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT-tagged fish are deposited on-colony
4/12/13 ›
Commencement of PIT tag fish deposition study on the California gull colony at Miller Rocks; 200 PIT-tagged fish fed to gulls at the colony to determine the rate at which consumed PIT-tagged fish are deposited on-colony
4/11/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Foundation Island, mid-Columbia River; 383 double-crested cormorants counted, 304 attending nests; also observed on island were 4 great blue herons (3 active nests), 7 loafing Caspian terns, 7 loafing American white pelicans, 2 loafing black-crowned night-herons, and one loafing bald eagle
4/11/13 ›
First Caspian tern egg observed on Crescent Island tern colony, mid-Columbia River
4/11/13 ›
Complete waterbird survey of Crescent Island, mid-Columbia River; 82 Caspian terns counted, 3 attending nests; ca. 5,560 gulls (mostly California gulls) counted, 550 attending nests; also observed on island were 12 black-crowned night-herons (1 active nest), 3 great egrets (1 active nest), 1 great blue heron (1 active nest), and 6 loafing double-crested cormorants
4/10/13 ›
Commencement of Chinook and 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; 34 spring Chinook salmon and 19 steelhead trout were PIT tagged, condition scored, and released in first week of tagging
4/9/13 ›
First survey of Three Mile Canyon Island gull colony on mid-Columbia River; no nesting birds observed on island; all nesting attempts by California gulls on Three Mile Canyon Island failed in 2011 from unknown causes and in 2012 no nesting attempts were observed
4/5/13 ›
First survey of Harper Island in Sprague Lake; 137 double-crested cormorants (76 active nests) and ca. 1,000 gulls (both California and ring-billed) counted on island, some nesting; no Caspian terns observed on island (site of former Caspian tern colony) or elsewhere on the lake
4/4/13 ›
First survey of Okanogan double-crested cormorant colony; 32 adult double-crested cormorants and 14 attended cormorant nests counted, cormorant chicks not observed; nesting nearby were 45 great blue herons (26 active nests)
4/4/13 ›
First visit to colonial waterbird nesting islands in Banks Lake; ca. 1,300 nesting gulls (mostly California gulls) and more than a dozen nesting Canada geese on Twining Island; ca. 1,200 nesting gulls (mostly ring-billed gulls), 26 nesting black-crowned night-herons (2 active nests), and 18 nesting great blue herons (14 active nests) on Goose Island; no Caspian terns were observed on either island or anywhere on the lake
4/2/13 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring double-crested cormorant colony at North Potholes; hundreds of cormorants observed on colony, some incubating eggs
4/2/13 ›
First survey of Badger Island American white pelican colony in the mid-Columbia River; 129 pelicans counted on or near island; no Caspian terns seen on or near island
3/30/13 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring gull colony on Miller Rocks in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown on gull colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study; ca. 800 gulls observed on-colony
3/30/13 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Blalock Island Complex in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown on gull colonies for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency studies; several thousand gulls, both ring-billed and California, counted on or near Anvil Island (location of large California gull colony in 2012); no gulls observed on Straight Six Island (location of a large ring-billed colony in 2012)
3/30/13 ›
First visit to Island 20 on the mid-Columbia River near Richland, WA; PIT tags sown on gull colonies for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency studies; ca. 14,000 gulls counted on the island; ring-billed gulls present on the southern portion of the island and California gulls present on the northern portion; some nest scrapes but no eggs observed
3/29/13 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Goose Island, Potholes Reservoir; PIT tags sown on tern colony for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency study
3/27/13 ›
First Caspian terns (28) observed on Crescent Island tern colony in mid-Columbia River
3/27/13 ›
Completed preparations for monitoring Caspian tern colony on Crescent Island in mid-Columbia River; PIT tags sown on tern and gull colonies for smolt PIT tag detection efficiency studies
3/27/13 ›
First double-crested cormorants recorded at Foundation Island colony in the mid-Columbia River by project staff in 2013; 269 adults and 168 attended nests counted
3/27/13 ›
Completed construction of observation blind near Foundation Island double-crested cormorant colony; completed preparations for monitoring double-crested cormorant colony on Foundation Island in mid-Columbia River
3/26/13 ›
First Caspian terns (4) observed on Goose Island tern colony, Potholes Reservoir
3/26/13 ›
Seasonal field crews began working in Columbia Plateau region
