[Tweeters] Caspian Terns and avian flu update

[Steve Hampton]

Jill,

I don't think we've seen any band returns from there -- though I've not
heard there was any banding there -- but I'd say, yes, almost certainly
this colony involved birds that have nested anywhere in Puget Sound in the
past. We have documented birds banded from Bellingham to Columbia River
mouth (including a 15-yr old live adult the other day). I've not heard any
results from banded birds collected dead, though I assume that will come
out with time.





On Sat, Sep 2, 2023 at 12:04 PM Jill Freidberg <jill.freidberg at gmail.com>
wrote:


> Thank you for this Steve. Is this refugee colony also made up of the terns

> that used to nest along the Duwamish and that suffered such a huge loss

> during the 2021 heat wave?

>

> Jill

>

> On Sep 2, 2023, at 12:17 AM, Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com> wrote:

>

> Great, comprehensive and informative writing, Steve.

> Thank you for sharing it.

> Also, great to see you have a blog, which I will now be looking forward to

> reading. Please add me to your list.

> Dan Reiff, PhD

>

> Sent from my iPhone

>

> On Sep 1, 2023, at 6:20 PM, Steve Hampton <stevechampton at gmail.com> wrote:

>

> 

> All,

>

> Here is an update of the Caspian Tern colony at Rat Island near Fort

> Flagler on Marrowstone Island near Port Townsend, which has been

> stricken by avian flu.

>

> Short version: WDFW has collected over 1,100 dead adults and 400 dead

> chicks. Smaller numbers of dead gulls and one to three dead Harbor Seals

> have tested positive as well. That said, there are still 200+ adult terns

> present and they have chicks that are now capable of flight, so there is

> some successful breeding.

>

> There are some pics as well.

>

>

> https://thecottonwoodpost.net/2023/08/21/after-hazing-and-avian-flu-will-the-last-colony-of-caspian-terns-in-the-salish-sea-survive/

>

> good birding,

>

> --

> Steve Hampton

> Port Townsend, WA  (qatáy)

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> Tweeters mailing list

> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>

> _______________________________________________

> Tweeters mailing list

> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>

>

>


-- 
​Steve Hampton​
Port Townsend, WA  (qatáy)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20230902/538d00a0/attachment.html>