Pigeon Guillemot Summary 2017 Island County Marine Resources Committee 10/3/17 Frances Wood, Govinda Rosling, Caitlyn Connolly Guillemot Research Group
Pigeon Guillemot Research Group "The Whidbey Island Seabird Survey is a rare example of citizen science done extremely well! It includes annual updates, a high quality web site, peer reviewed publication, and active participation in regional Seabird conservation. The information gathered through this survey effort is used as an indicator of the health of Puget Sound. Given limited resources, this type of active participation in monitoring by volunteers is critical to our ability to assess the
Guillemot Research Study Clallam County Island County South Sound Regional Coordinator Sequim Whidbey Island Nisqually Reach Nature Center Camino Island
Guillemot Research Study Clallam County 25 Volunteers 10 Colonies 500 Hours 607 Guillemots Island County Regional Data Website 70 Volunteers 25 Colonies 1,580 Hours 1,061 Guillemots South Sound 50 Volunteers 38 Colonies 1,000 Hours 473 Guillemots
Data and Reports Distribution Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Puget Sound Partnership Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Published articles and conferences Island and Clallam County MRCs Olympic Peninsula Audubon Data Whidbey Audubon Nisqually Reach Nature Center You www.pigeonguillemotdata.org
Guillemot Research Study Clallam County Island County South Sound (Separate) Regional Coordinator Funded by NWSF through Opportunity fund (Both Island County and Clallam County MRCs) Whidbey Audubon Society Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society
Whidbey Island Guillemot Survey Funded by Whidbey Audubon (data website) Coordinating Team Intern Funded by MRC Grant Volunteers Regional Coordinator Funded by Whidbey Audubon (training) Funded by NWSF and Whidbey Audubon
Guillemot Research Study Clallam County Island County South Sound Regional Coordinator Sequim Whidbey Island Nisqually Reach Nature Center Camino Island
Guillemot Research Group Study the guillemots in the Salish Sea Collect breeding bird data Identify fish fed to young in burrows Outreach Promote bluff stewardship
Why do we study them? They echo the overall health of the Salish Sea Only seabird that commonly nests on Whidbey Island Near top of the food chain Benefits of long-term monitoring
Volunteer protocol 1X/Week for 1 hour Number of Guillemots Number and location of burrows Fish type being delivered to burrow Gunnel Sculpin Other/Unknown
10 Colonies 25 Volunteers Started 2016 Sequim Area Surveys
Sequim Summary 2017 Sequim PIGU Prey Composition Prey composition percentage 20% 16% Sequim 2017 Number of PIGU Adults and Burrows 700 525 607 65% 350 sculpin gunnels other 175 0 54 29 Number of Adults Occupied Burrows Burrows with Chicks 15% 2017 Whidbey prey composition 85% Percentage of non breeders Percentage of attempted breeding 28 % 22 % 50 % Gun Scul Other
Camano Island Surveys Visited potential sites 1 confirmed colony Presentations to SWS, Pillchuck Audubon Camano resident email list Landowner permission to park @ colony Camano Country Club
Whidbey Island Pigeon Guillemot Colonies 27 Colonies 70 Volunteers Started 2004 Clinton
Number of Pigeon Guillemots and Burrows; 2008-2017 1375 1100 825 550 Adults Occupied Burrows Burrows w/ Chicks 275 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Year
Prey Delivery to Pigeon Guillemot Chicks 2008-2016 (vol & intern data) 1125 900 675 450 Gunnel Sculpin Other 225 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Year
CLIFFSIDE Colonies monitored by intern ROLLING HILLS Clinton
Intern Protocol: 4 Hours/Day Survey Every Day Identify Burrows Population Count Every.5 hour Fish Type Delivered to Burrows Fledging Success Interpretation
Rolling Hills/Cliffside Prey Composition Rolling Hills 2017 Prey Composition Rolling Hills 2012 Prey Composition 45% 45% Cliffside 2017 Prey Delivered 0% 15% 33% 26% 59% 10% Gunnel Sculpin Other Gunnel Sculpin Other 67% Sculpin Gunnel/Prickleback Unknown/Other
Number of Fish delivered 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Cliffside 2017 Prey Delivered by Week 6.13.17-6.15.17 Week 3 (6.27.17-6.29.17) 7.11.17-7.13.17 Week 7 (7.25.17-7.27.17) 8.8.17-8.10.17 Sculpin Gunnel/Prickleback Unknown/Other
Number of Fish Delivered 23 Rolling Hills 2017 Prey Delivered by Week 15 8 0 6.12.17-6.16.17 Week 3 (6.26.17-6.30.17) 7.10.17-7.14.17 Week 7 (7.24.17-7.28.17) 8.7.17-8.11.17 Sculpin Gunnel/Prickleback Unknown/Other
Number of fish per hour Number of Fish per hour 7. Rate of Fish Delivery at Cliffside 5.3 3.5 1.8 0. Week 1 (6.13.17-6.15.17) Week 3 (6.27.17-6.29.17) 11. Week 5 (7.11.17-7.13.17) Fish Deliveries Week 7 (7.25.17-7.27.17) Week 9 (8.8.17-8.10.17) Rate of Fish Delivery at Rolling Hills 8.3 5.5 2.8 0. Week 1 (6.12.17-6.16.17) Week 2 (6.20.17-6.22.17) Week 3 (6.26.17-6.30.17) Week 4 (7.4.17-7.6.17) Week 5 (7.10.17-7.14.17) Week 6 (7.18.17-7.20.17) Week 7 (7.24.17-7.28.17) Week 8 (7.1.17-8.3.17) Week 9 (8.7.17-8.11.17) Week 10 (8.15.17-8.17.17)
Intern Data Collected to Estimate Breeding Success Rolling Hills Year Estimated Fledging Success 2017 82% 2016, 2015, 2014 Colony not monitored by intern 2013 46% 2012 75% 2011 73% 2010 58%
Benefits and Partners Benefits Data Distribution/Publication Citizen Education Beach Stewards Bluff Awareness Public Presentations and Outreach Partners Northwest Straits Initiative Clallam County MRC Island County MRC Whidbey Audubon Society Sound Water Stewards Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society Nisqually Reach Nature Center Black Hills Audubon Dungeness NWR Anderson Island Parks Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Ott & Murphy Winery The EvergreenState College Numerous private land owners
Future Plans Continue long term survey as requested by the PSP marine bird working group PSP requested to expand to Jefferson and San Juan Counties New Question- presence/absence Camano Island Colony changes increase/decrease and what contributes to that Continue to educate community including beach property owners, educating about healthy nearshore environment Open for questions
Guillemot Research Group This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Ag Thank you funders.