Raptor Census (from February 9th)

I woke up before dawn to meet a bunch of folks after dawn about an hour south of here. I participated in the annual Raptor Census, during which regular people with some interest in birds meet and count what species they see. Truth be told it is organized by region and team leaders are not slouches; some of these folks are leading biologists and raptor researchers. But I am just a thirty-something with a bird addiction... specifically a raptor one!

I worked with Gerry and we walked around the Port Susan Bay reserve looking for raptors. We counted a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), dozens of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), some Northern Harriers aka Marsh Hawks (Circus cyaneas), a female American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). We heard a tremendous commotion from a nearby flock of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) too. Some Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) also made a cameo during our two-hour excursion.

We reported the data to the team leader and we all high-tailed (:)) it to Padilla Bay for a discussion about birds with beak deformities. Mostly this involves a disorder in which birds' beaks grow (like a cancer, really) and eventually prevent the bird from using its beak for anything. They can't eat or function properly because their beaks are inefficient and of course this leads to mortality.

Caroline Van Hemert spoke to us for a while about her work with Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska who suffer from this problem. Research didn't quite have any concrete conclusions but I will make a personal venture to say that perhaps cellular radiation or other environmental pollution is the culprit... HUMAN-created, so I must take some personal responsibility in contributing to the cause even though I do not yet know how. More info here!

It seems to me like a "beak cancer" as they simply grow out of control... I wonder if there is a gene in birds that tells the beak when to stop growing. All cancer research is related to humans, but perhaps there is work to be done with birds too.... maybe we can learn something from our flying friends.

It was nice to get out in the tidal flats early in the morning and contribute to a 23+ year project. I got to see my friend who is in charge of the whole program. You can find out more information about the Falcon Research Group here!