​Good afternoon dedicated Guillemoteers!

The end of the PIGU breeding season always sweeps in so soon! On one hand, it seems like we've been at this awhile, but on the other, Week 1 feels like yesterday. As our PIGU and their next generation float off for their offseason adventures, we find ourselves again with that familiar sense of bittersweetness hanging in the air. We sit and cheer for our colony birds, that they've done it again-- and we wonder, how many chicks they've produced and where exactly they will go now? But we also miss them--their silly antics and endearing behaviors, and the thrill of watching them fly in with a fish and successfully deliver it to their burrow. Surveying Guillemots means becoming connected to our colonies and our birds...and to each other. I know I'm not alone when I say that heading out to survey in the early morning with like minded peeps, is the best part of my weeks throughout the summer. And as we come into our last few quiet surveys, I'm already looking forward to next season. 

Before I go on, a quick word about data. (I want to make sure everyone sees this, so I'm putting it up top :)). Our End of Season Celebration will be happening on Wednesday, October 1st, the highlight of which will be Dave's summary of our 2025 data. Dave needs around two weeks to crunch numbers, generate graphs, and put this amazing presentation together for us. So we are asking everyone to please submit your data as soon as you can following your last surveys, and for regional coordinators to complete all quality checks by September 15th. We understand that a few colonies will still be wrapping up around then, and this is okay. The last two weeks should be weeks without activity, so we don't expect the late data trickling in to have much of an impact on Dave's analyses. Thank you so much to everyone for doing such an incredible job of getting your data in on time all season!! What you've accomplished is really commendable, and it will make the job of giving Dave the green light, so much easier! 

Onward...Almost all of the recent reports I've gotten are that colony teams are winding down and Guillemot numbers are dropping fast. Many teams are either done or expect to finish up within the next week or two. There is always an exception though! At the Clinton Ferry, on Whidbey Island, surveyors Ellen and Shannon saw their first prey delivery of the season just last week! Their birds were still hanging around, so they continued to survey past Week 11, and are so glad they did! Late burrows can and do happen, so it's good to trust the birds, and your instincts, when it seems the PIGU aren't quite finished! 

Also at the Clinton Ferry dock, Cathi Bower, who surveys at the Glendale colony (Whidbey), witnessed a gull chasing a PIGU, trying to get its sculpin. After the gull gave up, the PIGU popped up from under the water and gulped the sculpin down! I've seen this a few times, especially in the late season. As surveyors, we get excited to see a PIGU appear with a prey, only to watch the prey go down the hatch. I guess adult PIGU have to eat too, but it feels like they're teasing us! 

​At Hastie Lake, PG counts are tapering off, but Lac and his survey partner Joe, were graced by the presence of a gorgeous young coyote. Even when PIGU activity is low, the gifts we receive from Mother Nature out on the beach, never cease. 

Earlier in the week, she also observed a recently fledged bird begging from an adult at the Fort Worden Pier. I've heard a few stories from the literature of this happening, but wasn't sure if they were really true. From what we know, Guillemot chicks usually begin fishing and feeding themselves right away, and seemingly just float away from the colony without hanging around to socialize with adults. But apparently, it's within the realm of possibility! Has anyone else witnessed this behavior? ​

​Also on this outing, Hillary became aware of a sick PIGU hanging around the pier. She spent several days attempting to capture the bird and was finally able to get it when it became too weak to flee. This little PIGU is now in the capable hands of a seabird rehabilitator, receiving critical care. Thank you, Hillary, for not giving up and getting the ailing guillemot to help. We wish this guy a speedy recovery!

Some exciting news this week--SSGN was featured in Washington Audubon's August newsletter which went out to 34,000 members across the state! Terry Anderson wrote this blurb highlighting our program and the incredible efforts of our volunteers to monitor PIGU throughout the Salish Sea. It feels wonderful to be getting this visibility among the birding community, and it was all made possible thanks to the many years of dedication from our dedicated volunteers! As Linda N. said, "kudos to SSGN", and I echo that!! Thank you to Linda and Ellyn T. for sharing the newsletter with me. Terry let me know that she was writing and publishing this, but I hadn't seen the actual copy yet.

​And that seems like a fitting way to wrap up my updates for the season! Huge thanks to you all for caring about your birds and connecting with and observing them every week. This program is such a source of joy and it's uplifting to know that so many continue to stand together as stewards of the birds, beaches, and bluffs of our beloved Salish Sea. Although this is my last official update, I will continue to keep folks in the loop if anything comes up! 

Okay, two more pics! I'll leave you with these fun ones of "PIGU parties" at Isthmus Beach (East Jefferson) and Onamac (Camano):

​Good morning!

Week 10 took us into a stretch of cool, rainy weather. Who all got wet while out surveying on Wednesday or Thursday? For me, it felt like a relief. There is something about those grey, misty mornings on the beach that brings a sense of calm and peace. It seemed fitting for the late season. I know a few of you got soaked though--I hope those who did were able to recover quickly with a warm cup of post-survey coffee or tea.

This is the time when we will start to see not only fledglings on the water (if we're lucky!), but also juveniles and adults going through a transitional stage, as they head into their basic plumage, aka winter or non-breeding plumage. (What we typically call breeding plumage is actually the guillemot's "alternate" plumage.) This is also when attempting to identify ages and stages gets tricky! Sooty, mottled PIGU start to look alike and you may find yourself second guessing what exactly you're looking at. Well, you're not alone--even I find myself scratching my head more often than not!

Though we often refer to breeding and non-breeding plumage, using that terminology gets a bit messy, especially when you consider that some PIGU sporting their breeding duds in the summer, are in fact, non-breeders. We know that not all PIGU at our colonies are engaged in breeding each season. Some are juveniles, meaning they have not yet reached sexual maturity, which occurs between the ages of 3-5 years. The few that we've seen in basic (winter) plumage during the summer probably fall into this category.

The biggest clue to help us decipher who is who in this jumble of transitional plumage, is the wing patch. Adult PIGU have a distinct white wing patch, with a black wedge throughout the year, though in the late season, the edges of the wing patches might appear rough and the black feathers become paler and more brown in color. Juveniles and adults may look very similar to one another, but the juvenile wing patch is often not quite as defined. Fledglings, on the other hand, will have a very non-distinct wing-patch and mottled white and brown breast and a dark cap (see Week 9 for a good fledgling photo). All PIGU go through stages of looking mottled or sooty (even polka-dotted!), so we can't go off of this factor alone.

What I'm noticing right now is that PIGU in alternate plumage are beginning to appear lighter, with worn feather tips, and patches of white appearing. Here are some birds I photographed this last week:

I told Lac that he is like our roving "first alert" PIGU reporter. I'm so thankful to have him out there capturing all of this wonderful behavior. :) ​​

The following is a lovely, artistic photo by Linda Nakamura (Clallam County)--seeing double gunnels:

Jane Jones recounted some interesting PG behavior at her Manzanita colony on Bainbridge Island, in which groups of PGs seem to hang around and congregate after chicks have hatched. Jane says, "it seems like we always get more birds hanging around after the chicks have hatched and deliveries are happening. They'll do a sort of cheering call when one of the parents brings a fish to the nest; maybe the birds that aren't breeding that year (despite the plumage) act as spectators?" I love her description of a cheering call and I can hear in my mind exactly what that sounds like--the PGs really do have an air of excitement when two take flight to deliver a prey (the fish deliverer and the wingman, of course). Have you all witnessed this as well? Here is a pic from that day. Jane calls this a PIGU pool party. ​ 

​Wow, this last week felt more like two weeks in one. A lot happened and there is so much to cover--where to start?

I began my week by heading up for my first site visit to Camano Island. I got to meet regional lead, Ellyn Thoreen, in person, along with a handful of her dedicated surveyors, and see two of their vibrant and beautiful PIGU colonies. One thing that strikes me every time I meet fellow PIGU surveyors face to face, is just how wonderful and curious and beaming with positive energy they are! Each one truly loves the birds and the beach, and it's uplifting to be with folks who share this common thread. Thank you, Ellyn and crew, for welcoming me and sharing your gorgeous beaches and PIGU colonies with me. 

Here is a peek at the newest colony (bluff) on Camano, where I participated in a survey, called Onamac:

​In the past week, a few of you asked, should we start to see fledglings soon? The answer is, yes! Two of our colonies had prey deliveries in week one of our survey, and since Guillemots provision their chicks for 5-6 weeks, there could already be some fledglings floating around. Our flightless, mottled little newbies tend to be elusive, however, so the chances of seeing one will be greater as more begin to take the leap from their burrows. I expect to start hearing reports over the next 2-4 weeks. 

If you're wondering about your own colony, look back at when you first started seeing PIGU holding prey. You could expect your own chicks to fledge within 4-6 weeks of that date, given that it's possible we don't always catch the first week. You can also take a clue from the amount of PIGU activity at your colony. When chicks fledge, the PIGU leave shortly thereafter. If you still have birds floating in the nearshore, either holding prey, interacting with the bluff or with each other, there's a high likelihood that you still have chicks, even if many of the colony birds have already left. As our survey season winds down, please do make a note if you see birds holding prey or showing interest in your colony, especially if you do not observe and record a prey delivery during the survey. This will tell your coordinators that you are not yet in the two week "no activity" countdown to close your colony for the season. 

Here is a pic of a fledgling from last season:

The Isthmus Beach colony found themselves sitting in pea soup last week. As a result, their PIGU counts were very low (2, 1, 0), even though the birds continued to deliver prey. With counts of PIGU in the 30s previously, the fog surely hampered their ability to detect and count birds. This is a perfect example of a time one should make a note about weather conditions. Thank you, Hillary, for sharing your pic and story! ​

​On Whidbey Island, surveyors observed some very interesting PIGU behavior. At Cliffside, Dave Krause reported that within a five minute stretch, around 35 PIGU exited the water to sit on rocks, pushing and shoving their way onto their perch. Afterwards, they all flew up to hang on the bluff for a while. I like to say that PIGU have FOMO (fear of missing out)--when one does something, like sit on a log, they all want to do it! I've also noticed that they seem to have coordinated "play times", where they'll all float out a bit and play water games or practice their synchronized flights. Then just as quickly, they stop and go back to floating around or feeding. 

At Lake Hancock North, surveyors experienced a flurry of erratic bluff visits over the survey hour. PIGU flew repeatedly at the bluff, visiting burrows with and without prey, ledge sitting, and doing "touch-and-goes", so much so, that their heads were spinning and they questioned whether they documented all visits correctly. This seems like unusual behavior, meaning, we don't witness it with every survey, but it is not uncommon. I've heard stories from many different colonies over the years, where surveyors have witnessed this sort of frenzy. In my own experience, I've seen the birds behave this way towards the end of a colony's breeding period, and I assumed the two were related. But recently, another surveyor recounted seeing this at the beginning and even middle of the season. In the end, we can't say for sure what is happening--if only the birds could tell us! There is always more for us to learn.

What's important to know is what to do if this happens to you. Try your best to record only true "no prey" and "with prey" burrow visits and do not record ledge sitting or touch and gos. If you aren't sure what happened (e.g. a bird holding a fish disappears in the fray and you can't be sure where it went), do not record anything. We don't want folks trying to guess what happened and potentially guessing incorrectly. Doing so can skew our data and cause our estimates of reproductive success to be wonky. Just do your best and record the visits you're sure about. We also don't want you to second guess and go back later to remove visits or change your data sheet. Make a decision and stick to it. If you've experienced this frenzied bluff party before, kudos to you for making it through! Surveying is not always a breeze, sometimes it requires focus and stamina. :) 

I also have some news to share with you regarding our data. SSGN received a request from the Navy to use our data in order to assess impacts of Growler jet noise on PIGU colonies located on the Naval Air Base on Whidbey Island. The findings of their analyses will help inform their environmental impact study, and potentially, future management decisions. We are so happy to have the data to give, and it reinforces the reasons why we do this study--to promote awareness and conservation of PIGU in the Salish Sea. Thank you to all of you for your efforts and the part you have played in collecting this data! I will keep you updated as I know more about the outcomes of this study.

Whew, I think I covered everything! I'll end this chapter with a picture perfect gunnel delivery caught by Suzanne Lieberman at the Battle Point colony (Bainbridge Island) and a lovely PG in the mouth of a burrow at Beachcrest (South Sound) by Kathleen Bailey. Thank you for sharing!!

​Holy moly, we're in Week 8! 

How is everyone feeling this week? Is your colony activity starting to wind down, or does it seem it's just getting started, or are you still in the thick of it? I've heard a little bit of everything this last week! If your burrow activity is slowing down or you're beginning to wonder if you'll see any activity, you may also wonder, how much longer do we need to continue?! I've had this question crop up several times now, so here is what I'll say:

Our survey protocol dictates that colony teams survey for a minimum of 10 weeks and have at least two weeks with no colony activity prior to closing down for the season. We do this to make sure that we don't miss any late starting chick burrows. Incubation lasts for around four weeks, so even if your colony seems quiet, if you still have a group of PGs associating with each other, the bluff/beach or nearshore, breeding activity may still be ongoing. I once surveyed a colony where we saw our first prey delivery (and burrow visit for that matter) occur in Week 10! We thought for sure that would be our last survey, but we ended up going another 6 weeks. It can happen! 

So, the real clue is PIGU presence and activity. We know that when all of the chicks have fledged, the PGs seemingly disappear. If they are still hanging around, and especially if you see birds on the water with fish or birds interacting with the bluff, we assume that someone is still cooking behind the scenes. I believe that many of our colonies still have birds quietly incubating eggs, and here is a case in point: Lac Pope saw a PIGU fly into a driftwood log at Keystone on Friday (7/18). When he went to investigate, he saw a single egg inside the log!

​In any case, please talk to your regional coordinator before you decide to stop surveying for the season. Each colony is different and we want to make sure that it's clear which colonies are ready to shut down and when. I'm also happy to jump in and help if there's a special situation and the decision feels a bit murky.  Thank you to everyone for sticking with it--I know it can be hard when activity is slow, but all data that you collect (zeros or not) is critical to piecing together the story of our Salish Sea Guillemots.

A huge thank you to everyone who sent in pics of PIGU with prey last week! I asked you all what's for breakfast, and you delivered! 

We've got gunnels at Battle Point (Bainbridge/Kitsap), captured by Suzanne Lieberman.

​I'll leave you with a few more fun pics from the week. 

We STILL have PGs sparring and chasing after each other at Isthmus Beach, captured by Hillary Smith.

​Good morning, SSGN!

Prey deliveries, disturbances, synanthropy, and another PG in winter duds--that's what's going on in the world of Salish Sea PIGU this week!

If you were out on survey last week, you probably noticed the continued uptick in bluff interactions and prey deliveries at your colonies. We're up to 123 chick burrows and 311 recorded prey deliveries (so far) for week 6. It's such a striking (and exciting!) difference to the sleepiness we experienced just a few weeks ago! Who else feels like they need another set of eyes? This reminded me of the swiveling, bucket stools designed and built by the Shore Meadows (Whidbey) survey team. I think they might be onto something (photo from 2023 season)!  Perhaps they would be willing to share their construction plan? ;) ;)

Lac was also out at the Keystone Ferry colony and observed a PIGU displaying synanthropy, which occurs when wildlife adapts or leverages human activity or structures to their benefit. In this case, Lac spied a PG delivering a very red sculpin to a burrow within the riprap of the jetty. It seems crazy with the level of constant disturbance there, but the PIGU have been utilizing structures at this location for many seasons now. At the same colony, they've also taken advantage of the ferry counterweight and the gear on top of the old pier (which you may have seen me post about last season). It's really pretty amazing! ​

​Welcome to Week 6, fellow Guillemot devotees!

With five weeks behind, we are officially halfway through the season (for many of you). I say many and not all, because of course, the PIGU do not heed our survey calendar, and thus there are just as many folks who will continue to see prey deliveries into weeks 12, 14, 16, and even 18 (that was our record last season)! 

The switch has finally been flipped on prey deliveries! Not all of the data has come in yet, but from what I can see, and from network chatter, I gather that things are really ramping up. We still have yet to hit our anticipated peak, but hopefully most colonies now have increased burrow visits and provisioning of chicks. So, what are your PGs serving up for breakfast? The data tells us that most prefer to feed gunnels or snake pricklebacks (over 60% across the network in the years 2021-2024), followed by sculpin (~30% from 2021-2024). Other prey you might see are forage fish (e.g. surf smelt), shiner perch, or shrimp/other invertebrates. I'd be curious to know if you have seen any unusual offerings delivered up to chicks?

(Pssst...if you would like to browse more of our data from last season, don't forget we have a data analysis page on our website, here!)

Here is a gunnel delivery captured at Battle Point on Bainbridge Island by Suzanne Liebermann. Suzanne says the PG was considerate enough to stop and pose before heading into the burrow! Considerate, indeed! :) 

​If you get any fun prey shots over the season, please send them to me!! It's always exciting to see what's destined for the hungry mouths in the burrows! 

Notes on notes. This week was pretty quiet when it came to questions and ponderings, but I did have a few discussions about survey notes. Like disturbances, questions about notes can be tough to answer and the solution is not always black and white. When writing notes, think about which factors of your survey might have had an impact on what you observed and recorded. Notes should function to explain your data when something out of the ordinary influences survey results. For example, foggy weather or choppy water might impede your ability to see and count PIGU.  Writing a note to this effect could explain why your population counts are lower (or higher) than usual. Other notes could signal that PIGU activity is still ongoing even when no burrow visits were logged. For example, a note that a PG held a fish on the water, tells your regional coordinator that your colony is still active. This could be important, especially as we near the end of the season. You might also record "other" types of prey, if you're able to identify them. 

In the end, use your best judgement and keep notes recorded on data sheets short and sweet. Wordy notes can be difficult to quality check. Also, bear in mind that we aren't able to track and use note data quantifiably or summarily. We are most likely to reference notes only when we have a question about a survey. I truly love when folks are moved to write about their experiences during surveys and I hope that you do! Please don't hesitate to send me or your coordinators interesting happenings or record them in a journal, just make sure to think twice before writing a novel on a data sheet. ;)

Speaking of fog, disturbances, prey deliveries, Lac Pope experienced all three at Hastie Lake last week. Here are his beautiful photos. Lac and his team waited for the eagles to leave before settling in. I adore the foggy morning PIGU gunnel delivery!  Thank you, Lac!

I'll leave you with one last thing for the week. Rory Macklin, of Birds Canada, was kind enough to come speak at our SSGN monthly meeting last Wednesday about research he is doing using community science survey data. Specifically, he spoke about observations at the intersection of seabird populations and vessel traffic in the Salish Sea. Alcids, and PIGU, are included in his analyses. I thought that some of you might be interested in watching his presentation, especially given the high amount of vessel traffic we see here in the Salish Sea and the potential for deleterious impacts. 

May the swoosh of PIGU flybys and wonders of beachy mornings make your week magical! ​
​Shannon

​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!

​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! 

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?" ​

We've made it to the last week of June, the Summer Solstice, and Week 4 of our survey! 

The theme this week is that many colonies are still feeling a bit slow. Most are seeing good population numbers - the birds are there - but not yet seeing many burrow visits or prey deliveries. You're not alone! If you fall into this category, you're in the majority. Just remember that PIGUs incubate their eggs for around 4 weeks, and many have just entered this phase, or are still in the process of courting and mating. I observed mating behavior, myself, just a few days ago. July should bring much greater activity to the burrows as more and more PIGU pairs start provisioning their chicks.

I have heard from a few smaller colonies that their PIGU are scarce or missing this season, and this is always a possibility when you only have one or two burrows, and a small core number of birds to begin with. If you fall into this category, please do reach out to your regional coordinator to let them know, and continue monitoring in case you have a pair that is quietly incubating. A really low tide could also compound the chance of a low PIGU count, which is hard felt at small colonies. I know it can be disappointing or concerning when you don't see activity, but even no activity is data, and your observations are valuable. If there is still no evidence of colony activity in 3-4 weeks, you and your coordinator can reassess the situation, and if you want to bounce it off of me, I would be happy to help.

The data summary last week told us that we now have 10 chick burrows (burrows with prey deliveries) and 22 deliveries across the network for colonies that have submitted data so far. We also have a PIGU high count of 138 birds at the Hood Canal colony! Whew! I suspect some heads were spinning on that survey team--that is a lot of PGs to keep track of! Hats off to you!

Thank you to everyone for getting your surveys submitted so quickly! It's awesome to be able to glance at the data coming in and relay to you what's happening in near real time! 

Just a reminder that IGAD is almost upon us!! The Whidbey coordination team puts on this wonderful event every year and it is sure to be a fun time! It's a great chance to commune with each other face to face and share our love of PGs! I hope to see many of you there - folks from all regions are invited!

Are there any questions you've been pondering while out on survey or do you have any interesting observations to share? Please send them my way! 

Have a wonderful week, all, and have fun out there with our favorite seabirds! 

​Shannon