Week 9: August 2nd - August 8th
It’s August—how did manage to get here so soon? It doesn’t seem possible that we are officially in the “late season”, but here we are. I’m curious to know how many colonies are going into their final two survey weeks?
In case you don’t believe that activity could start to slow soon (or even stop), I have fledglings to prove it! I’ve received several reports of fledgling sightings around Whidbey Island and in the South Sound. I’ve also heard about surveyors spying large chicks in burrows that look like they couldn’t possibly stay in their cramped quarters much longer—their leap to living independent lives on the outside is imminent.
(Fair warning: this post is photo and video heavy. I received so many awesome updates last week, I just have to share! I hope you don’t mind! :D)
Here is the first fledgling reported to me last week, spotted during a survey at Hastie Lake, by Lac Pope. Lac says that activity was nil at the colony, and the fledgling was seen diving and wing flapping, by itself, about 30 yards offshore.
We also saw a fledgling during our Walnut Road survey in the South Sound. It floated right up to and around our boat, then dove and popped up next to the colony PIGU congregating in the nearshore. I’m including a shot of its “wing flappies” so you can get a good look at its dotted white wing bars. Despite what I said last week about fledglings seeming to float away from the colonies without staying to socialize, this one looked happy to find some others of its own.
Meanwhile, many colonies are still seeing a heightened level of chick provisioning and bouts of PIGU “zoomies”. Hillary Smith described last week’s action as “hot”. She says, “They're doing that restless "c'mon, c'mon, let's gooooo!" behavior, tons of zoomies, ledge sitting, lots of vocalizations. It's like the whole colony is amped up to go.” Has anyone else witnessed the zoomies lately?
She also saw a parent sitting at the mouth of a burrow holding prey as if trying to coax a chick to come out. Here are some photos of PIGU activity at her colony, Isthmus Beach, including the adult finally feeding the chick, whose beak you can just make out in the upper left corner. (Hillary mentioned that these chicks could not be seen with the eye from outside the burrow. Her photos were taken from the beach with a long lens, and upon cropping and increasing the exposure substantially, two chicks were revealed!)
Also at Isthmus Beach, surveyor Meg Amos, told me perhaps the funniest story I’ve heard this season. As she was sitting watching a PIGU with prey, it took off and began to fly in a trajectory straight for her. She said, “I was sitting on my stool and a PIGU flew from way out, on a bearing totally aligned with my head! I couldn't believe it! I watched that bird flying straight at me from quite a ways out and I thought it would veer off when it saw this giant rock on the beach, but no, it kept heading straight for me and hit me right in the head with its gunnel!!” She attributed this misjudgment by the PIGU to the effectiveness of her camo. I think we all need to see what Meg was wearing to become invisible, so we can emulate her!
Erin Baumeister observed one PIGU holding a healthy snake prickleback, and another a shiner perch, bound for burrows at Valdes Island in B.C.
Maria Ruth also sent me proof of a near ready to fledge chick in a burrow. She visited her Edgewater colony last week with two podcasters, Hannah Buschert and her husband Erik, of Hannah and Erik Go Birding, in tow. They are working on producing a follow up podcast to one they recorded with Maria in April (you can find that, here). Hannah set up a scope with a camera attachment, and with amazing luck, captured an adult PIGU feeding a chick! Maria says, “We had a fish delivery to B8 and got a very good look of the chick in the burrow. Looks like it anticipated the delivery (some vocalizing by parent en route with fish ?) as it came to the burrow entrance just before the parent arrived.” We have often guessed that chicks and parents might swap vocal cues, could this be proof?
I have one more fun series of an adult PIGU dutifully bringing food to its chick. This one is to the old gear on the pier at the Keystone Ferry site. You’ve probably seen me post pictures of guillemots sitting on eggs in this gear previously. Well, last week, Lac Pope watched as a parent brought a bright red gunnel to the gear, and a chick can clearly be seen inside! It’s a great feeling to know that a chick could be successfully reared in this exposed gear.
So, as you can see, while fledglings are starting to make their appearance, many chicks have a bit of time to go yet, and parents are still working hard to keep them fed and growing!
I’ll wrap up this week with one more video that falls into the category of “Other Wildlife seen on Survey”, because it’s too sweet not to share. You’ve probably all noticed that now is also the time for baby seals. Kathryn Tooker filmed this adorable early morning scene of a mama and baby seal, shortly after the pup was born next to the Langley Marina. Enjoy the cuteness overload!
I hope you all enjoy this exciting stretch of time in our survey! I’m sending you all good thoughts for many more prey deliveries to come and subsequent fledgling sightings! Take care and thanks for all you do!
Shannon