2006

Date
Colony/Location
Note
3/16/06 Columbia River Estuary First tern (1) observed in estuary, roosting on NE beach on East Sand Is.
3/21/06 East Sand Is. Habitat work on tern colony initiated by USACE
3/22/06 East Sand Is. Habitat work on tern colony completed by USACE
3/23/06 Crescent Is. Tern colony preparation;  PIT tags (240) released on colony for detection efficiency studies; no terns present on colony, 2 flying nearby
3/23/06 Mid-Columbia River First terns (2) observed on Mid-Columbia River, flying near Crescent Is.
3/24/06 Foundation Is. Cormorant colony preparation;  PIT tags (100) released on colony for detection efficiency studies; 246 cormorants present on colony
3/26/06 East Sand Is. First terns (94) observed on colony
3/26/06
Foundation Is.
Rough estimate of first cormorant egg laid on colony
4/1/06 East Sand Is. PIT tags released on tern colony for detection efficiency studies 
4/1/06 East Sand Is. Tern colony preparation, decoys (50), and blind construction completed
4/4/06 East Sand Is. First cormorants (250) seen roosting on island on North beach 
4/5/06 East Sand Is. First tern courtship feed, copulations (4), and scrape digging observed 
4/5/06 Crescent Is. First terns (51) observed on colony
4/6/06 East Sand Is. Cormorant colony preparation completed, six social attraction plots established on the colony, PIT tags released on cormorant colony for detection efficiency studies
4/7/06 East Sand Is. First cormorants were observed on colony
4/7/06 East Sand Is. First cormorants observed in all six social attraction plots
4/7/06 East Sand Is. Colony monitors moved onto island
4/8/06 Pillar Rock Sands Loafing terns (10) observed at upland site, no scrapes or nesting behaviors observed
4/11/06 East Sand Is. First brown pelicans (2) observed on island
4/13/06 Miller Sands Spit Social attraction plot for cormorants established
4/14/06 Crescent Is Estimated date when first tern egg laid on colony
4/16/06 Rice Is. Social attraction plot for cormorants established
4/19/06 Blalock Islands First terns observed on colony
4/22/06 Foundation Is. Rough estimate of first cormorant chick hatched on colony
4/23/06 East Sand Is. First cormorant eggs (4) observed
4/24/06 East Sand Is. Great horned owl was observed roosting on the Island
4/24/06 East Sand Is. Evidence of a racoon on the island
4/26/06 Burbank Slough Net pen study initiated
4/26/06 East Sand Is. First tern egg observed
4/27/06 Peninsula Slough Net pen study initiated
4/27/06 Miller Sands Spit Loafing terns (148) observed at upland site, no scrapes or nesting behaviors observed
4/27/06 Pillar Rock Sands Loafing terns (116) observed at upland site, no scrapes or nesting behaviors observed
4/27/06 Rice Is. First cormorants (2) observed on the experimental colony
4/29/06 Miller Sands Spit USACE contractor began installing flagging in upland areas where terns attempting to nest
4/29/06 Pillar Rock Sands USACE contractor began installing flagging in upland areas where terns attempting to nest
5/3/06 East Sand Is. Great horned owl removed from island
5/6/06 Burbank Slough First Caspian tern feeding on fish in net pen
5/7/06 East Sand Is. Evidence of raccoon predation on tern eggs
5/7/06 Crescent Is. First tern chick hatched on colony
5/8/06 East Sand Is. First confirmed breeding by a tern banded as a chick in the estuary (banded on East Sand Island in 2001)
5/10/06 Miller Sands Spit First cormorants (2) observed on the experimental colony
5/11/06 Peninsula Slough First Caspian tern feeding on fish in net pen
5/13/06 Crescent Is. Force-feeding experiment initiated
5/19/06 Rice Is. First cormorant egg observed on the experimental colony
5/19/06 Mid-Columbia River Severe wind and hail storm occurred that cause significant nest failure at some colonies
5/22/06 East Sand Is. Force-feeding experiment initiated
5/22/06 East Sand Is. First cormorant chick observed on colony
5/23/06 East Sand Is. First tern chick observed on colony
5/23/06 Miller Rocks First cormorants (12) observed on colony. A minimum of 5 active nests observed.
5/25/06 Mid-Columbia River Aerial photo census conducted (for estimating the number of adults on various upriver colonies)
5/26/06 East Sand Is. Aerial photo census conducted (for estimating the number of tern breeding pairs on colony)
5/26/06 Rock Is. Nesting by terns confirmed (20-40 active nests with eggs and chicks)
6/6/06 Burbank Slough PIT-tagged trout transferred from the Peninsula Slough net pen to the Burbank Slough net pen
6/7/06 East Sand Is. Aerial photo census conducted (for estimating the number of cormorant and gull breeding pairs on colony)
6/10/06 Foundation Is. First fledgling cormorant observed at colony
6/14/06 Crescent Is. First fledgling tern observed at colony
6/16/06 Rice is. First cormorant chick observed on the experimental colony
6/18/06 Rock Is. Total nest failure at tern colony discovered, presumably caused by a mammalian predator
6/28/06 East Sand Is. First fledgling tern observed at colony
6/28/06 Peninsula Slough Net pen removed; net pen study completed for the season
6/28/06 Burbank Slough Net pen removed; net pen study completed for the season
6/29/06 Crescent Is. Tern chicks near fledging age (71) banded at the colony
7/6/06 Goose Is. (Potholes) Tern chicks near fledging age (60) banded at the colony
7/7/06 East Sand Is. Aerial photo census conducted (for estimating the number of fledglings on colony)
7/11/06 East Sand is. Tern chicks near fledging age (427) banded at the colony
7/13/06 Miller Sands Spit First cormorant chicks observed on colony (roughly 2 weeks old)
7/13/06 Rice Is. Cormorants (2) collected for doubly-labeled water experiments (to directly measure field metaboloic rates)
7/16/06 East Sand Is. First fledgling cormorants observed at colony
7/20/06 East Sand Is. Opossum captured and removed from island
7/24/06 East Sand Is. Great horned owl tracks observed near decapitated tern on northest beach
7/27/06 All colonies Final day of daily data collection for the 2006 field season (some periodic monitoring of bird colonies will continue on East Sand Island through August)

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