Week 3: June 16th - 22nd
Happy Week 3 SSGN!
It's the middle of June, and while the weather still isn't sure what it wants to do, our PIGU know exactly what to do! I have received so many amazing photos and even videos of PIGU exhibiting socialization, aggression, courtship, and breeding behavior. From the looks of it, chicks are on the way! :D For those observing copulation over the last two weeks, if the breeding attempts were successful, you could see prey deliveries in the next 3-4 weeks.
Here is a video sent in by Steve Koehler, taken at his Dungeness Spit Colony. Up in Clallam County, PIGU have to contend with rolling waves--but that doesn't stop them! (Graphic PIGU content ;)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri9po6o9UCM
Some colonies are ahead of the game, however. I took a peek at the data, and Week two saw the first prey deliveries--at Rolling Hills on Whidbey Island, and San Juan County Park on San Juan Island! PIGU chicks fledge sometime around 35 days of age, so we would expect to see prey deliveries for at least 4-5 weeks, assuming we catch the first week of provisioning and the chicks survive to fledge.
Lindsay and Amber up at the Fort Worden Pier saw PIGU holding gunnels on the water, but instead of delivering them to burrows, they gulped them down themselves! Yes, that does happen from time to time! Here is one PIGU with a mouthful:
Lac Pope sent a beautiful photo sequence of PIGU playing "King of the Hill" at Hastie Lake on Whidbey. Such classic guillemot behavior--one of the many reasons we so love to watch them!
Thank you to everyone who has entered their data already! It really does help us to get a handle on what's going on across the regions and get a feel for how surveys are coming along.
Just a reminder that we are less than two weeks away from the annual International Guillemot Appreciation Day Celebration, put on by the Whidbey Coordination Team. This fun PIGU party will be held at the Ott and Hunter Winery in Langley on Friday, June 28th from 3-5pm. There will be PIGU themed food and the good company of dedicated PIGU lovers from around the Salish Sea. We hope to see many of you there!
Also, I am working on website updates--if there's anything you'd like to see or think can be improved, just let me know! I'm already thinking about the new Data page and eyeing the photo gallery. I would love to show more regional representation in the photos, and luckily, I've gotten enough recently to give me a good start! Please keep 'em coming!
I'll leave you with one last pic from Taylor Umetsu from the Portage Colony on Vashon Island:
Have a wonderful week, all!
— Shannon