Week 5: June 29th-July 5th

6/29/2025 0 Comments

Week 5: June 29th-July 5th

Happy Sunny Sunday, all!

We've almost made it to the halfway mark of our minimum 10 week survey span!! It's hard to believe that feeding activity will be slowing down for a few of you, while some of us are still waiting to see the beginnings of it! July is just two days around the corner though, and we should be entering our peak in the next three weeks.

Last week was an eventful one and so much fun! Friday was International Guillemot Appreciation Day and Whidbey celebrated by holding their annual GAD party at the Ott and Hunter Winery in Langley. I was really happy to see SO many people in attendance - it was standing room only and the venue was filled to the brim with happy chatter about PGs and laughter. Meeting face to face with dedicated Guillemoteers proved that PIGU peeps are indeed the very best kind!

We were fortunate to have a special guest, Dr. Sarah Converse, of University of Washington in attendance. Sarah's lab has been building a complex population and reproductive success model using our data over the last several years. We were reminded how important our data are to understanding the impacts of environmental change on PIGU populations and our survey's role in the early detection of adverse conditions in the marine environment. We also recognize just how much we are able to do when working together as a network. Huge thanks to every surveyor, coordinator, and volunteer for your part in the Salish Sea PIGU breeding survey!

We had four speakers, Jenny Matsumoto, Sarah Converse, myself, and Frances Wood to tell the "story" of the survey, and in the end, the Whidbey Coordinators presented Frances, with a beautiful token of appreciation for bringing this survey to life 22 years ago, and her constant dedication since. With over 260 surveyors, seven regions, and 63 colonies, we've come a long way, and it's truly a spectacular accomplishment!

Dr. Sarah Converse

Frances Wood and Lee Badovinus

PIGU "rubber ducky" magnets and gorgeous painting by Carrie Whitney

I also want to share some interesting stories from recent weeks. Brenda Willis of Brisco East (South Sound) wrote to tell me that she observed a Kingfisher make a prey delivery to an active PIGU burrow! The PIGU were not too thrilled. Last season, Brenda witnessed four PIGU enter this same burrow with prey. Her conclusion is that this burrow actually has two inner chambers, a two bedroom condo, if you will. I'll be curious to hear how the two different species fare after a season of close quarters! I can't imagine that the Kingfisher is cool about the situation either, but maybe they'll make work?

At Walnut Road we observed one PG that was actively excavating and determined to fit into a very small burrow or depression in the bluff. After many tries, it eventually fit its entire body inside! We will watch this development closely to see if the burrow actually gets bigger over the season, and if the PGs are able to use it. There were three other small depressions with scrape marks nearby, so it made me wonder if PIGU really can create burrows when they want to? Stay tuned!

I fit!!

We still have birds mating at some colonies throughout the Salish Sea! Suzanne Lieberman sent me a series of two PGs doing a balancing act on a buoy at Battle Point (Kitsap-Bainbridge). When there's a will...

And finally, Hillary Smith of East Jefferson County always comes through with some good ones! Here is a PG that went down for a fish and came up with something different...either that or it's our first vegetarian PIGU! Based on the look on its face, it seems to be thinking, "how did I manage to end up with this?"