PIGEON GUILLEMOT NESTING SURVEY

Salish Sea Guillemot Network (SSGN)

2023 SSGN End of Season Celebration

(Information provided by the Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Survey and the SSGN)

On September 28th, we celebrated the successful end to our 20th year of Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Surveys!!

We came together as a collective group to share stories, photos, and videos from the different survey regions across the Salish Sea. The evening reminded us that although every region has its own unique attributes and highlights, we are connected through our love of the guillemots and Puget Sound, as well as our dedication to monitoring the birds and providing solid data to those tracking their health. We understand the importance of doing so in the overarching goal of conservation, and we are committed to continuing this incredible project for many more years to come. The focus of 2023 was to make a big push in gathering consistent and clean data, and getting it in on time--and we did just that! The effort that went into putting the process in motion and seeing it through was remarkable, and we were rewarded with a fabulous visual presentation of our data by Whidbey surveyor and data handler extraordinaire, Dave Krause. To top off the evening, we welcomed South Sound PIGU surveyor and author, Maria Ruth, to share her fascinating insight into the meanings of Pigeon Guillemot vocalizations and postural displays. Maria has left no stone unturned in preparation for her book on Pigeon Guillemots, and the depth of knowledge she has to share is extraordinary. We feel fortunate to have Maria among us! If you missed the event, or want to go back and rewatch moments, no worries, we've got you covered below. Enjoy! 

SSGN 2023 End of Season Celebration: Full Video

SSGN 2023 Data Summary by Dave Krause

Maria Ruth on Pigeon Guillemot Vocalizations and Postural Displays - 2023 

October 21, 2021 Update

An end of the year celebration for the Salish Sea Guillemot Network monitoring program volunteers was held virtually on October 19, 2021 with keynote speaker, Scott Pearson, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Scott discussed the status of Pigeon Guillemots in the Salish Sea, how their population trends compare to other species in their family, the use of the Pigeon Guillemot as an indicator species, and how the Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Survey supports the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s work. The virtual celebration was a great success!

Survey data expert Dave Krause compiled and presented the charts and graphs that are in the following PDF. Click here to view the preliminary results of the 2021 Pigeon Guillemot survey.

May 5, 2021 Update

The Salish Sea Guillemot Network monitoring program began with the Whidbey Audubon Society some years ago. It has grown into a region-wide program with over 200 volunteers. This last year the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began incorporating the years of data into their state-wide system. There are many Regional partners in the effort. For a full list, visit the home page of the project's website: Home (pigeonguillemot.org). Clallam County's efforts are sponsored and managed by the County's Marine Resources Committee (MRC). About 25 Clallam volunteers monitor 15 nesting sites. OPAS members are active in the volunteer ranks. With COVID, volunteer training is being done online. Videos and Zoom meetings have worked well to keep everyone informed. To get an idea of how the observations work, you can view training videos at: Survey Training Videos (pigeonguillemot.org)   

If you have an interest in participating in the survey, please contact Ed Bowlby at edbowlby2@gmail.com.

History

After a 2015 pilot Pigeon Guillemot nesting survey at Port Williams, the survey was organized and expanded in June 2016 by Ed Bowlby. OPAS members are among the survey volunteers and training for monitoring nesting colonies of Pigeon Guillemots was provided by Francis Wood of Whidbey Audubon. Volunteers were trained to conduct weekly one-hour morning sessions (before 9:00 a.m.) at assigned beach locations from June thru September. Establishing teams for each Guillemot colony will allow for vacation for volunteers.

Current survey locations in Clallam County are Mussel Beach, John Wayne Marina, the base of the Dungeness Spit, Bachelor Rock, Port Angeles, two sites at Panorama Vista, and several sites at Port Williams beach. Read the 2018 Pigeon Guillemot breeding season report that compares 3 regional surveys, Clallam County, South Sound, and Whidbey Island.

If you have an interest in participating in the survey, please contact Ed Bowlby at edbowlby2@gmail.com. More information can be found at the project website: http://pigeonguillemot.org/.

To read about breeding survey resources and the most current data findings, please click on this link. For the most recent data for Clallam County, click on this link (data may not be available for the current year until after September).