Coast Explorer Blog

Rescuing wildlife can be a touchy subject. When is it better to let nature take its course for better or worse and when is it appropriate to step in and help?

I got a call from Deborah Anderson this morning about a Black Oystercatcher nesting site we have been monitoring for the US Geological Survey. It seems the oystercatcher chick had tumbled down about 20 feet below the ledge where the pair was nesting, leaving the baby bird close to the tide line and far too close to
people and dogs during low tide. Deborah called the North Coast Wildlife Rehab Center and left a message, while I checked in with Elise Elliott-Smith from USGS for her recommendations. She advised that if the chick was one or two weeks old, they were capable of climbing to a higher location.

The parent oystercatcher looks down at its chick (bottom left corner) that tumbled down some 20 feet from its nesting ledge above.

When I arrived at the nesting site at Chapman Point, the parent was keeping close to its small chick despite the close access the low tide made possible for beach goers and dogs. Not long after I arrived, Mark and Kristin Albrecht, volunteers with the Rehab Center arrived to assess the scene. It was clear that this chick was too young to climb higher, despite urgings from a parent, so Mark and Kristin located a safe ledge nearby to relocate the chick.

Mark began scaling the rock face to reach the chick, much to the distress of the parent who stayed to protect its young until Mark was within reach. Mark carefully scooped up the baby bird and handed it off to Kristin at the base of the rock. The chick was clearly only days old and still had its eyes shut. Kristin held the ball of gray and black fluff as Mark climbed down and then scaled the location chosen nearby to relocate the baby bird.

The handoff

It was a dicey climb to reach the location, but when he was within arm’s reach, Kristin handed him the chick and he placed it on a much higher, safer and protected ledge. Both oystercatcher parents kept a close eye on what was going on, flying by and watching from a nearby perches. As Mark slowly retreated from the rock, one of the parents moved in quickly and, reunited with the chick, immediately returning to cover its young.

A distraught parent

Mark places the chick in its new, safer location.

As the chick and one parent were safely in their new spot, the other parent kept a close eye on the small group of people who watched the rescue and continued to recheck both the original nest and the spot where the chick was removed.
The relocation looked to be a complete success. The site will continue to be monitored with reports submitted to the USGS. The Black Oystercatcher is listed as a “species of concern” by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Their nesting sites, ledges on near shore rocks, are often under pressure from beach goers getting too close, especially at low tides. Once flushed from their nesting sites, other predators swoop in for an easy meal. Several other nearby nesting sites already failed this year, including one at Haystack Rock and Ecola Point.

As soon as the chick was placed in the new location and Mark retreated from the ledge, the parents quickly moved in to take care of their young.

All offshore and near shore rocks on the Oregon Coast are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and climbing is not permitted. Visitors should keep a safe distance to avoid disturbing nesting sites.

In a majority of cases, it is advisable for the public to call local officials if they believe wildlife are in need of assistance, rather than taking action themselves. Local authorities know the resources to call to make critical decisions about what steps should be taken to assist wildlife.

For more on oystercatchers, see our article in the current issue of Coast Explorer at: http://www.coastexplorermagazine.com/display.php?id=79

UPDATE (7/24/09) Deborah has continued to monitor the site. The birds appeared to be doing well, both Thursday evening and Friday morning. I will check the site today.

UPDATE (7/26/09) Deborah checked the site yesterday (Saturday) and things still looked good. I checked the site today (Sunday) at low tide and although the parents were distressed and left the nest site when dogs were running and splashing in the water below them, they returned and I was able to see the chick’s head popping up occasionally in the same position that it was placed during the rescue. Today was the last of the minus tides, so hopefully the birds can relax a little without so much activity nearby.

Summer on the coast is seabird season as birds, who spend most of their life at sea, return to near-shore rocks to nest. Puffins on Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach offer a rare treat to see these colorful birds. While puffins are popular, just about a mile to the north in Cannon Beach is another remarkable display of nature. At Chapman Point, a grouping of rocks appropriately known as Bird Rocks is home to a colony of thousands of common murres that crowd nearly every inch of the top of the rocks. The colony of murres has been estimated in the tens of thousands here.

Common murres are similar to penguins, but murres can fly, admittedly very awkwardly. Growing to nearly 18 inches in length, they are one of the largest seabirds that can fly. They are much more graceful in the water, where they dive for food. Also in this shot, Brandt's Cormorants with their distinctive blue throat patch.

The last few years, the murre colony has received frequent, unwelcome visits from a rebounding local population of bald eagles. This week, three juvenile eagles were frequenting the rocks and nearby beaches. Adults were also spotted in the area.

A juvenile bald eagle is pestered by a seagull after raising a ruckus on Bird Rocks. Juvenile eagles are speckled and can take four or five years to display the distinctive white head and tail of an adult.

Typically, when an eagle soars overhead, thousands of murres spill off the rocks, abandoning their eggs and flee to the waters until the eagles depart. Gulls and crows, as well as the eagles feast on fresh murre eggs. The impact on this murre colony with the growing population of eagles is unknown, but watching this ongoing, daily drama makes it hard to believe that the murres are having much success at nesting on these rocks. Last week I did see two eagles on top of the rock, but the murres did not all leave as I have witnessed on previous occasions.

To those unaware, these are just some rocks sitting offshore, but zoom in with binoculars or a spotting scope and you will see nearly every foot of the top of the rock covered by murres. The birds lay a single egg which they incubate with the egg resting on their feet.

This ongoing nature display can be witnessed nearly every day, several times a day. Bring binoculars or a bird spotting scope. Whether you witness the rocks jam-packed with murres or the eagles scattering the birds in all directions, it’s a wondrous site.

CANNON BEACH, OREGON – During the Independence Day holiday weekend, Cannon Beach, Oregon hosts a colorful aerial display unlike most communities. The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch July 3-5 is a seabird watching event on the beach that will offer visitors the opportunity to watch nesting puffins and many other varieties of seabirds. The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch is part of a fireworks-free Independence Day celebration on Cannon Beach shores that also includes a small town Fourth of July parade Saturday morning, Fire Dancers in the City Park Saturday evening and an outdoor symphonic band concert Saturday afternoon.

The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch is part of a fireworks-free Independence Day celebration in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

While many coastal communities don’t enforce state laws prohibiting fireworks on the beach, the City of Cannon Beach has recognized its special enforcement needs related to its surrounding sensitive marine environments and nesting seabirds. Haystack Rock is protected as a state designated Marine Garden and it, along with other offshore rocks on Cannon Beach, is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge system.

Spotting scopes will be set up on the beach near Haystack Rock from 7 to 10am and 4 to 6pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 3-5. Visitors will be able to observe nesting puffins on Haystack Rock, the most accessible observation point to watch Tufted Puffins in their natural environment in the Northwest. Many other varieties of birds are also common visitors to the area, including Brown Pelicans, cormorants, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers and Bald Eagles. A free Puffin Watch Passport will be available that provides identification information and a checklist of birds that can be seen in the area.

During the three-day event, the city’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) will present a series of interpretive programs on the beach with special guest speakers, including displays of live rescue birds. A complete schedule of events will be available at the HRAP beach station near Haystack Rock during its hours of operation and at Cannon Beach City Hall, 163 E Gower. The schedule will also be posted at www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us.

Other Cannon Beach Fourth of July activities include a hometown parade beginning at 11am from Spruce and Monroe Streets, usually accompanied by a brief military jet flyover. Kids and dogs scramble after treats thrown by parade participants. After the parade, everyone is invited to gather at the Cannon Beach Fire House for free hot dogs and pop. Bring the kids and let them check out the equipment, climb on the trucks, play with the hoses and try to knock down a cone in the parking lot with the hose. There is a prize for those who can do it. At about 10am strawberry shortcake will be available for $3 on the U.S. Bank porch.