Managing Wildlife Populations

Golden Eagle Rehabilitation: Biologist Anderson connected Wildlife Scientist Watson with PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center staff members regarding a juvenile golden eagle that was found wandering around a front porch in the Carnation area. The bird fit as a new candidate of a larger rehabilitation release study examining raptors, such as golden eagles, in which Scientist Watson participates. Once the bird was suited with a solar satellite transmitter, our partners at Carnation Farms provided space for the bird to be released back into the area it was more broadly found in. At times, in the right habitat conditions, this species will nest on the west slope in very rare situations. Individuals of this species are also, rarely, found wintering in western Washington, including the lower Snoqualmie Valley in the past.

Wildlife Health – Bullwinkle Disease: Biologist Anderson received note of a black-tailed deer with a swollen snout. After some back and forth with our veterinarian staff members, they felt the animal likely has Bullwinkle disease. This disease is chronic inflammation of the various tissues of the deer’s head due to a bacterial infection. It is limited to this region of the body and does not affect meat or consumption considerations. The hunter retained the animal and now has a story of a funny looking deer.

Black-tailed deer with what is likely to be Bullwinkle Disease – a bacterial infection in the snout region of the animal’s head.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Coyote Outreach – Seattle: South Region 4 Conflict Specialist O’Connor and Conflict Technician Inman spent time providing community outreach regarding coyote coexistence to mitigate conflict scenarios. Learn more at our Living with Wildlife pages. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

New Game Reserve Boundary Markers: District 14 Wildlife Biologists Waddell and Soltysiak worked with Lands Weed Management staff member Traurig to place new buoy markers for the Swinomish Spit Game Reserve in Padilla Bay prior to the October duck and goose seasons. Hunters are not allowed to hunt within the boundaries of the game reserve. Full details of the Swinomish Spit Game Reserve boundaries can be found in WAC 220-411-220.

End of North Cascades 2023-2024 Fisher Camera Monitoring: District 12, as with other districts and partners, wrapped up fisher monitoring in North Cascades. District 12 retrieved their final camera set that was up in the higher country of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

CITES Bobcat, River Otter Sealing, Cougar Sealing, Bear Tooth Processing, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep sample and marking needs: With the beginning of various hunts, animals have been coming in for sealing and sampling needs. Staff members throughout the region have been responding to requests, with customer service assisting with appointment setting at the Mill Creek or La Conner offices. District 12 have processed bobcat (new jaw and DNA sampling requirements), cougar, bear, and bighorn sheep thus far. 

Common Loon Platform Fall Season Efforts: District 12 went around to three area lakes to remove and winterize area nesting platforms for the state-listed common loon.

Wildlife disease in the North Puget Sound Islands: An increase in reports of a variety of wildlife diseases has been noted this month. Hundreds of feral domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been reported dead on Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Islands and samples submitted to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory identified Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus. A suspect carcass of an eastern cottontail from Whidbey Island was submitted, but results are still pending. Similarly, suspect cases of Adenovirus hemorrhagic disease have been reported in deer on Lopez and San Juan Islands but has not been confirmed due to fresh carcass availability. 

Washington Habitat Connectivity Action Plan – Regional Review: Region 4 district wildlife biologists met with habitat staff members regarding regional review of the mapping products associated with Washington Habitat Connectivity Action Plan efforts.

South Fork Tolt Reservoir – FERC relicensing – Seattle Public Utilities: District 12 and habitat Federal Energy Regulatory Commission specialists continue to engage with city of Seattle and project review partners in ongoing consultation regarding relicensing needs. Topics include federally listed northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, state listed common loon, larch mountain salamander, and other species of greatest conservation need under the state wildlife action plan. Seattle is working with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), federal, tribal, local, and other partners to incorporate comments, study plans, monitoring, and mitigation related to the current relicensing efforts.

Bat White-nose Syndrome Monitoring and Research Collaborations – USGS: District 12 continues to work with Bat Specialist Abby Tobin and researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) regarding “Air-DNA” sampling trials in various environments. District 12 retrieved samples that have been “soaking” under a bridge for the past few months. These will be processed and sent off for ongoing research at USGS. Future work may lead to rapid DNA testing for the causative fungus of White-nose Syndrome in bats within a given roost environment.

Special Permit Hunts – GMU 485 Green Elk and Deer: Biologist Smith assisted Tacoma Watershed Operations Security staff members in check station and hunter field assistance regarding the permit hunts held annually in the GMU 485 Green River unit. Another successful hunt!

Black Bear Release in Snohomish County: District 13 and conflict specialists assisted with a black bear release following successful rehabilitation at PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. This bear was collected by Conflict and Enforcement staff as a dehydrated and emaciated cub on a busy road near Concrete (orphaned by unknown reasons) and is now extremely healthy and roaming the forests near Verlot. We will be eagerly following the collar data from this individual and hoping it will experience a long and prosperous life!

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Coyote Outreach – Queen Anne and Magnolia, Seattle: Region 4 South Wildlife Conflict staff members, working with input regarding messaging from Enforcement and Communications and Public Engagement (CAPE), canvassed the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods of Seattle regarding Living with Coyote.

Providing Education and Outreach

Lopez Island Community Meeting to Discuss Public Safety During Hunting Season: District Wildlife Biologist Kurt Licence participated in a community meeting with WDFW Enforcement Program, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Land Mangement (BLM), San Juan County Land Bank (LB) and the County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to discuss community concerns after a 2023 hunting accident on the island that resulted in the death of a hunter. The meeting was well attended by the community (for island standards) with 35 individuals engaged. In addition to discussing trends in hunting safety and the many merits of public deer hunting as a conservation and management tool, staff members outlined a plan to improve education, awareness, and safety regarding hunting on the island. This plan includes the construction and deployment of hunting information kiosks with free hunter orange vest available for borrowing at four separate trailheads leading to public hunting grounds. Kiosks were built and painted by WDFW Master Hunters. WDFW District and Regional staff members are also collaboratively staffing a hunting and wildlife information booth on the island during the deer general modern firearm seasons. Finally, WDFW Communications staff members have been sharing social media and blog posts to draw attention to the issue and provide a unified message with other natural resources and land management partners.

Other

Raptor Research Conference in Charlotte North Carolina: Biologist Licence attended the annual Raptor Research Foundation Conference in Charlotte this year and contributed to a presentation on a mercury contaminant assessment in bald eagles. This was a great opportunity to network with raptor researchers across multiple flyways and countries, share research findings, and most of all learn about cutting-edge technology, management, and data collection methods in the field. Information learned from this conference will be shared with relevant species leads and any staff members that are interested!

Managing Wildlife Populations

Is it a bird, a plane, a monkey??? Not quite: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Biologist Anderson, at the request of Bat Specialist Tobin, retrieved a fruit bat species (yet to be identified) from Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The bat, already deceased, was found at a local WSDOT rest area in south King County. Unfortunately, various non-native species, including bats, attempt to, or do, make it through customs at various ports (e.g. SeaTac International Airport, etc.). 

The very next week, after obtaining the bat specimen for further examination, a “monkey” was reported at the Boeing 737 plant in Renton. The “monkey” was found deceased in cargo received from Australia. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services called Anderson, relaying that Boeing was needing direction and that the deceased “monkey” needed removal. Several calls and emails were exchanged amongst WDFW, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Washington Department of Health, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS). Anderson was then sent off to Boeing to obtain better pictures and to remove the animal.

Upon arrival, the deceased animal was quickly identified as “not a monkey” and determined to be a brush-tailed possum that had likely stowed away at the point of origin. This is a very common species that is known to do this now and then (like our native yellow-bellied marmots that can be quite good at hiding in vehicles and cargo). Anderson then worked with all entities to gain appropriate direction of removal, clean-up, and disposal.

Often, these non-native animals are coming through ports as an accidental stowaway, or may possibly be related to cultural practices. Luckily, port authorities and inspection services often catch these instances. In this case, both specimens were deceased and after initial examination and confirmation of animal species/type - no human health concerns were identified.

Please support captive bred exotic pets and similar captive wildlife situations, rather than harvest of wild stock for various legal and illegal markets.

Grouse Wing and Tail Collection Barrels: All Region 4 wildlife districts have deployed their annual grouse wing and tail collection barrels with the start of the grouse season on September 15th. The goal of this collection effort is to build estimated population trend datasets for each species to evaluate harvest changes. Other factors will also be evaluated, including wildfire and weather patterns that may contribute to changes in harvest and overall populations at the species level.

Providing Education and Outreach

Safety during hunting season on Lopez Island: Regional and WDFW enforcement staff members participated in a meeting with San Juan County Council, leadership representatives from local enforcement, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and San Juan County Land Bank (SJCLB). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss community concerns centered around deer hunting seasons. It was a productive conversation of information sharing and community engagement planning. The same group will be participating in a community meeting on Lopez Island on October 8th to answer questions and discuss hunting safety and values. 

Additionally, District 13 staff members are coordinating with the Master Hunter Program, BLM and SJCLB to build and deploy large orange kiosks at public hunting access trailheads. The kiosks will be used for storing sign-in/sign-out sheets for hunters, loaner hunter orange vests, and to serve as an indicator that hunting season has begun on the properties. This same group will also be staffing a hunting and recreation information booth during the early and late general deer seasons near the access area for BLM’s Chadwick Hill hunting area. Staff members hope these efforts will ease concerns about hunting on public lands in the community and garner support for maintaining or expanding local public hunting access to help achieve deer population reduction goals for this management zone.

Other

Volunteer of the Year Award Adam Black: After missing the Region 4 awards ceremony because of a personal commitment, Adam Black was excited to finally receive the North Puget Sound Region’s Volunteer of the Year award! He was surprised and thankful for the recognition and reaffirmed his interest in supporting conservation and Department efforts well into the future.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Mountain goat surveys: District wildlife staff members, in collaboration with tribal comanagers in the region, took to the skies to conduct a regular assessment of mountain goat populations in the Cascade Mountains. Surveys entail low-level flight across mountain goat habitat and established survey blocks to determine quantity, age, location, and other sight ability factors associated with mountain goat groups. This year, many previously un-surveyed areas were covered in addition to standard survey blocks. Surveys inform population management decisions such as hunting permit levels, as well as overall health and condition of local mountain goat populations.

Bat Acoustic Survey – Maintenance and Monitoring: District 12 worked with Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to put a long-term bat acoustic monitoring station up on a more permanent surface. Previously, it was running on a large conduit pipe. Much better location – keep the calls coming! Thanks to the support of Washington State Parks!

Biologist Anderson worked with Bat Specialist Tobin and a visiting United States Geological Survey (USGS) researcher regarding ongoing collaboration and trials in extracting eDNA from the air and surfaces. Rapid CRISPER (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) analysis is utilized for detection of the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) – the causative fungus on White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats. The disease, caused by a non-native, invasive Eurasian fungus, known shorthand as Pd, is decimating a large portion of certain species of bats throughout North America. Washington is unfortunately seeing some of the negative effects of WNS. Continuing to develop better bat and WNS/Pd survey and monitoring techniques will only help in understanding how to manage and monitor our local bats in this challenging time with this disease.

Providing Education and Outreach

Students of Migrant Families – High School Camp: Biologist Anderson provided bat education via a presentation and field group bat monitoring session, using the Woodland Park Zoo BAT (Bat Activity Trends) program. The students were from Pasco School District. The students were participating in an experiential program, spending time in outdoor programs and educational efforts at Rainbow Lodge, in North Bend.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Carnivore Monitoring Program: District 14 biologists have been assisting the National Park Service (NPS) in deploying wolverine monitoring stations under the Woodland Park Zoo Carnivore Monitoring Program. In 2013, the North Cascades wolverine population was estimated to be less than 40 individuals. While they are making a comeback in our region, these elusive creatures have slow reproduction rates and are facing climate change challenges. Their preference for high mountain terrain makes them difficult to study. These stations will aid in defining the current distribution of wolverines and, if detected, to collect genetic samples to better understand their relationships to other populations in the region. 

Loon Surveys: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Biologist Soltysiak and NPS Biologist Christophersen backpacked into the Ross Lake area to monitor common loon activity. While two adult pairs were observed, neither were displaying any signs of nesting. Breeding pairs of loons within District 14 are becoming increasingly rare. At this site, the last known nest was three years ago. Common loons are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need due to their shrinking range, small populations, and vulnerability to development and recreational pressure at sensitive nesting lakes. Fisherman are encouraged to reach out to district staff members for non-lead tackle in efforts to protect this unique bird. 

Fisher Monitoring Continues: District wildlife staff members continue to retrieve cameras and bait stations from many different locations in the North Cascades. Although fishers have been absent from several of the recently collected stations, there have been noteworthy detections of other important forest carnivores including a wolverine and numerous American marten. This effort is an essential part of evaluating fisher reintroduction success that simultaneously provides valuable information on a variety of species of conservation interest. 

Bats – North American Bat (NABat) and other Surveys: District 13 continued Region 4’s effort towards the annual acoustic bat surveys for the international NABat Program. Detectors were deployed in four quadrants of a randomly selected grid cell in Arlington that have been consistently monitored during approximately the same time over many years. Learn more at our Pacific Northwest coordination site from Oregon State University. 

Additionally, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag reading devices at two white-nose syndrome (WNS) research sites in District 13 were visited for maintenance, and an emergence count was conducted at a WNS research site in Darrington. At the Darrington site 170 bats were counted, which was a modest increase from previous years. 

Bat Maternity Colony Monitoring: Biologists Anderson and Smith initiated annual maternity colony monitoring at the first of multiple sites that are monitored each season.

Deception Crag Peregrine Falcon Climbing Conflict: The active eyrie at Deception Crags in the I-90 corridor is now open. The falcons successfully reared at least two eyasses (had three, one not seen after fledging). Thanks to our partners at Urban Raptor Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, Mount Baker Snoqualmie – North Bend Ranger District, Washington State Parks, and the broader support of the climbing community in closure of the crag to provide for safety of climbers and successful nesting of the falcons.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

UW Drumheller Fountain Urban Duck Conflict: Biologists Anderson and Smith met with University of Washington (UW) Environmental Health and Safety specialists and campus maintenance to remove a flighted hen and her unflighted chicks from Drumheller Fountain. The fountain has an urban mallard brood annually, enough that the facilities crew has constructed a number of “fountain ramps” for them.

Unfortunately, the ducks would not leave the entirely dry fountain, which is drained biennially for removal of refuse (wheelchairs, scooters, bikes, cell phones, laptops – you name it) and maintained, then filled again. This can’t be done with mama mallard and her babies! Anderson and Smith quickly removed the ducks and translocated them elsewhere on Lake Washington. Fountain is clean and ready for ducks next season.

Lower Snoqualmie Valley Elk Conflict: Biologist Smith, Anderson, and Wildlife Conflict Specialist O’Connor have been working with a producer at Carnation Farms to fit elk with collars or solar ear tags to examine spatial movements both regarding crops and conflict. The general movements in the area are also examined and how that may change as the former game reserve (Carnation Farms) deploys techniques to deter the elk from their property and crops. A company that makes the solar ear tags has graciously donated a couple to test in the thick and dark western Washington. Luck would have it that a recent quick evening attempt led to successfully darting a bull. He is now bejeweled with an ear tag and is moving about the area – including WDFW Stillwater Wildlife Management Unit.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

South Fork Tolt Relicensing: Biologist Anderson met with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission representatives, City of Seattle, and partners (non-government organizations, tribal, municipal, and other resource entities such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) in ongoing efforts to guide the relicensing needs of the South Fork Tolt Reservoir. Anderson also provided WDFW wildlife representation in a meeting regarding terrestrial wildlife. Anderson discussed local state listed (sensitive) common loon management needs. Anderson also discussed the possibility for data to be captured on the loon prey resource potential of the reservoir, as part of a larger fish population study of the reservoir. The South Fork Tolt Reservoir supplies drinking water to north King County and generates power. These planning meetings and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process are related to the power generation management and use of the reservoir.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Beaver Rehabilitation – Successful Release and Establishment: A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist from King County (District 12), worked with PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to identify potential locations for beaver release. In collaboration with Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, a site was chosen on Vashon-Maury. The land trust has reported that the beaver released there are hanging around the site and appear to be doing great.  It is rare to be able to release beaver in suburban/rural areas of King County, which makes this site unique. 

Snow Goose Survey: Wildlife Biologists Waddell and Soltysiak conducted the annual snow goose survey. This survey was conducted in a small single engine airplane and encompassed an area from southern British Columbia southward to northern King County. Flocks of snow geese were photographed for later analysis by AI software.

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Photo by WDFW

Purple Martin Colony Maintenance: District 12 collaborated with volunteers to maintain the Seattle waterfront purple martin colonies at Duwamish Waterway and Shilshole Bay. Overall, roughly 100 nest gourds were cleaned and maintained for reuse this season (with the bulk of those also used last season). The purple martin is North America’s largest swallow that is a state Species of Greatest Conservation Need under the State Wildlife Action Plan. It is largely dependent on human nest boxes, nest gourds, and other human structures for nesting. 

The purple martin is a cavity nesting species that needs snags that are over or adjacent to water to build their nests. Snags are dead or dying trees. Snags are a very specialized and limited habitat type that tends to be very patchy in occurrence. For purple martins, removing a group of snags with cavities that they use can take out an entire local martin colony. Snags are often taken down because they can be a safety hazard, and are also removed to preserve views. Simple management of snags, in the appropriate situation where hazards are not of concern, not only provides habitat, but also great wildlife attraction and watching opportunities. 

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Photo by WDFW

Sooty Grouse Survey: Westside district staff are in ongoing monitoring surveys for sooty grouse, a harvestable forest grouse species, this month and next. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Common Loon Platform Maintenance and Launch: District 12 maintained platforms on two separate territorial common loon lakes. Loons were observed at both lakes. The common loon is a state listed species (Sensitive) and a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the State Wildlife Action Plan. 

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Photo by WDFW

Improving Bat Roosting Habitat in Island and San Juan Counties: Biologist Licence, in collaboration with the Watchable Wildlife Program, Master Hunter Program, Diversity Division, State Parks, Girl Scouts, Bats Northwest, Happy Valley Bats Rehab Center, private citizens/landowners and other partners recently built over 50 multi-chambered bat boxes for distribution to stewards throughout the district. 

This group rallied to install nine boxes at Deception Pass State Park. These boxes will provide additional living space for up to 2,250 bats in an area where bat exclusion has occurred over multiple winters in private dwellings nearby. Journalists from the Washington Post and a reporter from the Whidbey News-Times attended the event and conducted interviews.

Many of the additional boxes were donated to homeowners with bats regularly roosting in or near their property and are currently in the process of installing boxes. Fifteen more bat boxes were donated to the San Juan Island Land Bank for mounting and monitoring across San Juan and Orcas islands. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Beach Clean-up Efforts on Whidbey Island: Biologist Licence and master hunters represented Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to support efforts by the Washington State University Island County Extension Office and Naval Air Station Whidbey to remove litter from beaches with a specific focus on collecting and quantifying plastic shotgun wad debris. 

In the past month two separate events took place, one in early April at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor and the other at Crescent Beach on Earth Day. Combined, volunteers collected hundreds of pounds of litter and well over 1000 shotgun wads. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Island Marble Butterfly Spring Monitoring on San Juan Island: Biologist Licence and Pollinator Specialist Combs initiated another year of island marble butterfly (IMB) monitoring on San Juan Island. This week of monitoring included adult relative abundance transects, detection/no detection surveys in known IMB occurrence areas, as well as egg and larvae monitoring at the Cattle Point, Department of Natural Resources property. Staff members also value this time to communicate and build relationships with local conservation partners. The IMB season appears to be earlier this year than in the past and staff members counted 34 recently laid eggs where in recent history no eggs were counted during this early season survey.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Bat Acoustic Activity Monitoring: Biologist Anderson maintained three solar powered acoustic bat recorders that are running year-round in the district. These are used for various trends in activity – emergence periods, species activity at a site, etc.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Bobcat and Wallabies – Conflict Prevention: Wildlife Conflict Specialist O’Connor responded to a call regarding a depredation to captive wallabies. Upon arriving at the site, O’Connor noted a bobcat in the wallaby pen, jumping out as he approached. O’Connor went through exclusionary needs and other conflict reduction management techniques.

Providing Education and Outreach

Protected Wildlife – Trail Building Concerns: Biologist Anderson met with Seattle Parks and Recreation, as well as a citizens group, regarding a local natural area that has a mountain bike trail proposed and in the process of development. A state protected active Cooper’s hawk nest was located right above the trail. They determined currently there is no conflict because the trail building will be well away from the active nest. 

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Photo by WDFW

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Westside Necropsy Training: Wildlife health staff members provided a necropsy training and refresher for staff members for both west and east of the crest. In the west training, one of the specimens acquired was an elk from North Bend that had been spinning and appeared disoriented. Necropsy participants found an injury to the head/base of antler that created an injury, and infection and an abscess on the brain that likely created all the behavioral issues the animal exhibited.

Other

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Marbled Murrelet Diet Analysis Research: Regional Wildlife Biologists assisted Science Division with murrelet captures for an ongoing diet analysis to help assess factors associated with local population declines. The team found success in the waters near Smith and Minor islands, west of central Whidbey Island, capturing three marbled murrelets and one ancient murrelet in a single evening!

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Cascades Bobcat Project: Biologist Smith has been helping Wildlife Science Division trap bobcats in King County. The effort aims to develop occupancy modeling tools to provide for periodic population trend assessment in this species.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

SeaTac International Airport Wildlife Hazard Management Plan Annual Meeting: Biologist Anderson met with Port of Seattle at their annual overview of the SeaTac International Airport Wildlife Hazard Management Plan. Aspects of the plan discussed involved largely bird airstrike hazard management, state and other jurisdictional legal considerations and needs, how efforts are implemented on the ground/changes/etc., broad assessment of how things are going, and where attention is needed in 2024.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

Burien Bird Fest, Bellevue Master Naturalist, King County Native Plant Sale: Biologist Anderson tabled with Watchable Wildlife at the Burien Bird Fest. The event was very birdy and well attended at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) outreach table. 

Biologist Anderson provided the annual Urban Wildlife Management class for the Bellevue Master Naturalist Program.

Anderson partnered with Habitat at Home to run a table at the King County native plant sale. There were many plants being picked up and many folks visiting the WDFW booth to discuss wildlife and our Habitat at Home Program.

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Midwinter Aerial Seabird Surveys: Regional and Waterfowl Section biologists took to the skies to continue the long-term monitoring effort to document the abundance, trends and distribution of marine birds and mammals in the Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca. The team completed all surveys by the end of January, which is no small feat considering the amount and length of survey transects (blue and red lines in map below). Check out the survey data!

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Port of Seattle Terminal 91: Biologist Anderson met with Port of Seattle and King County environmental staff members regarding the need to remove a creosote piling in the Terminal 91 area. They discussed the effects to the purple martin colony at the site. This project is part of a larger revisioning and redevelopment of that area.

The Port is examining alternative, steel piling sites in Elliott Bay, Duwamish Waterway, and on site at Lake Jacobs, between and just north of Terminal 91 and Terminal 90. These alternative sites seem, initially, to be good alternatives. If they are used, they would provide for similar alternate purple martin nest site opportunities for the greater Elliott Bay population of this state species of greatest conservation need. The local martin population along the Seattle waterfront has the largest concentration of martins in King County.

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Photo by Elaine Chuang

West/East of Cascade Crest Bobcat Study: Biologist Smith assisted Scientist Kertson with ongoing bobcat trapping in District 12.

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Photo by WDFW

 Trumpeter Swan Project: Biologist Smith assisted in captures of swans related to a new forage and spatial use study.

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Photo by WDFW

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Northern Spotted Owl, South Fork Tolt Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Relicensing, Bat Box, Secretive Wetland Birds: Biologist Anderson participated in ongoing meetings regarding internal and external working groups, which all kicked-off in the new year. Looking forward to contributing and helping with working group needs and decisions.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Midwinter Aerial Seabird Surveys: Regional and Waterfowl Section biologists took to the skies to continue the long-term monitoring effort to document the abundance, trends, and distribution of marine birds and mammals in the Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca. The team has made good use of the weather and are on track to complete surveys by the end of January. Check out the survey data!

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Ebey Slough White-nose Syndrome Monitoring Update: District 13 Biologists completed the installation of a solar powered PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag reader at a maternity bat roost in Snohomish County. This equipment will help document survivorship, colony size, and colony phenology to assess efficacy of a vaccine trial to treat bats for white-nose syndrome.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Avian Influenza Mortality Event at Lake Tye: District 13 Biologists responded to an avian mortality event at Lake Tye in Monroe, predominantly impacting cackling geese. A total of approximately 80 sick and dead cackling geese have been collected to date. Washington State Department of Wildlife (WDFW) Wildlife Program staff members collaborated with many partners including WDFW Enforcement Program, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation, WDFW Communications and Public Engagement (CAPE), and Smith-Root Inc. to collect and sample carcasses, post informational signage, conduct public outreach, and test novel methods for avian influenza detection. Biologist Licence provided multiple media interviews on the event.

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Photo by WDFW

Winter Forage Ecology of Trumpeter Swans Field Project: Region 4 staff members are assisting the Waterfowl Section staff members and Graduate Student Romero in a telemetry project in the Skagit and Stillaguamish river deltas that will provide valuable insight into swan foraging, ecology, and management. Capture operations will extend into December.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Annual Game Management Unit 485 Green River Watershed Special Permit Hunts: District 12 staff members worked the annual weeklong hunts in the Green River Watershed. A huge thanks to Tacoma Water for coordinating and hosting these special hunts. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) would also like to thank the Muckleshoot Indian Nation for their annual collaboration and planning to provide for both the annual citizen and tribal special hunts in October and November each year.

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Photo by WDFW

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Park Use Conflicts with Wildlife – Seattle: Biologist Anderson met with City of Seattle staff members and a WDFW habitat biologist regarding proposed changes to the use of a Seattle park. The city plans to convert an open area that is currently staging trucks and other heavy equipment to a pickleball court. Originally, they planned for the area to be used for tennis courts. Seattle is currently weighing comments and concerns of the public and non-government agencies regarding the potential impacts to wildlife.

Bats and Bridges – Washington State Department of Transportaion (WSDOT): Biologist Anderson, WDFW Bat Specialist Tobin, and members of WSDOT Environment Group met to discuss partnerships that will provide for bats on transportation infrastructure. Many good thoughts and some pilot efforts were discussed. The hope is for the two agencies to partner on more projects in western Washington. The partnership between the agencies will support the conservation needs of bats while obtaining broader data on bat occurrence, type of use, and their overall activity patterns.

Providing Education and Outreach

Burke Museum Public Coyote Necropsy: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) District 12 Veterinarian Haman and members of the Prugh Lab at University of Washington conducted a training necropsy on a young, but independent, coyote that was found randomly deceased in a backyard in Seattle. The animal had been in good shape and in gross exam it appeared it had just started to decline recently – perhaps having a respiratory infection. They sent out the tests for analysis.

This was not only a great opportunity for the group of biologists to learn from Dr. Haman, but it was also an opportunity for the public to see WDFW staff members at work. Several school field trip groups dropped by the large pane window of the new, public viewing lab in the museum. It provided great outreach and it was a good opportunity for the public to see lab efforts related to wildlife biology and management. Thanks again to the Prugh Lab and Dr. Haman!

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Photo by WDFW