California, Cassin's Auklet, Prince Island, from Aaron Hebshi (PRBO): (1) egg-laying delayed by 4©6 weeks, (2) occupancy of nest sites about half of normal, (3) higher than normal egg abandonment.
California, Rhinoceros Auklet. Ano Nuevo Island © from Julie Thayer (PRBO): (1) egg-laying delayed by about 2 weeks, (2) higher than normal level of egg abandonment, (3) breeding effort similar to that observed in previous years.
California, Cassin's Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorant, Western Gull, Southeast Farallon Island, from Michelle Hester and Kelly Hastings (PRBO): (1) Cassin' Auklet egg laying delayed by 8 weeks and breeding effort reduced by about 50%, (2) Common Murre egg-laying delayed by 4 weeks, breeding effort significantly reduced by about 30%, and greater than normal egg loss, (3) Rhinoceros Auklet egg-laying delayed by 2 weeks, but no apparent change in breeding effort, (4) Pigeon Guillemot may forgo breeding; no egg-laying noted to date, (5) Brandt's and Pelagic cormorant breeding effort reduced by about 75% for each species, (6) Western Gull chronology effectively normal, with a small reduction in egg size, but increased chick mortality noted.
Oregon © Common Murre, Yakina Head, from Julia Parrish (UW): (1) 2-4 weeks late, (2) some chicks are hatching, but eggs also abandoned (1/3 to date), (3) parents remaining on the colony, sometimes intermittently sitting on their abandoned eggs, or in their breeding spot, after gulls have chowed down on the egg, (4) dead murres are beginning to appear on local beaches.
Washington, Common Murre, Tatoosh Island, from Julia Parrish (UW): (1) laying exactly on time - laying began the second week in june, (2) many eggs lost due to increasing eagle pressure driving a lay-and-lose cycle, (3) in "protected" habitats, egg numbers may be down, although we are just reaching peak laying.
British Columbia, Cassin's Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre, Triangle Island, from Doug Bertram (SFU): (1) CAAU layed eggs (median approx. 20 April) roughly 10d later than in previous years, breeding effort is considerably reduced, with burrow occupancy about 30% compared to 60% in 3 previous years, chick growth in early development was "normal" but recently in the later stages mortality has been very high (up to 50% in some plots) ©© only the earliest hatched nestlings appear to be gaining enough mass to fledge successfully, food samples appear to be largely composed of fish instead of zooplankton; (2) RHAU layed eggs roughly 1Od earlier (median 3 May) than in the 3 previous years, burrow occupancy was 50% compared with 60-80% in previous years, nestling growth is good so far, "bill load" samples from 15 June (first weekly bout) comprised predominantly sandlance (0, 1 and 2 + year classes) which have been scarce in recent years; (3) COMU attendance at the colony suggests similar numbers to the past three years, presently in the early to mid egg laying period, but have no data from other years for comparison.
Alaska © Rhinoceros Auklet, Middleton Island, from Scott Hatch (USGS-BRD): (1) population continues to increase; total burrow entrances counted was 4,000+, up from 2,744 in 1992, (2) using a video burrow camera extensively in RHAU work. We've established plots of some 50-60 burrows with eggs that will remain little disturbed so as to provide measure of egg hatching and chick rearing success, (3) nothing unusual about the chronology -- but need to check carefully against past information, (4) as a side note, the early-season food supply of kittiwakes (which consists of mid-water, oceanic prey like myctophids, squids, and crustaceans) apparently has held up well this spring, as we've seen several 3-egg clutches on the island which are unusual. Time will tell whether the later-season sandlance-capelin system fails as usual, resulting in poor chick survival at Middleton."--Bill Sydeman wjsydeman@prbo.org.