July 16, 2009
A giant sheep crab carapace washed up in South Marsh. Probably the biggest crab you’ve ever seen!
Connie and Kerstin found it washed up in South Marsh of Elkhorn Slough, but no doubt in life it lived offshore.
Rikke keyed it out as a sheep crab, Loxorhynchus grandis. Below is a link to a bit of information on this species from the MB Aquarium’s website.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=1rze/EC78JCkKKr3Ar2dxQ==
May 4, 2009
This is a response about the dead birds being found in Elkhorn Slough from Kerstin Wasson, Research Coordinator at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve:
It appears that these dead birds are part of a larger event — a lot of cormorants and grebes have been dying of starvation due to lack of anchovy food resources this spring. Vets have conducted fairly extensive tests and have thus ruled out all diseases that might be expected. So while sad, this appears to be part of natural cycles of richness and scarcity in the ocean.
Below are links from two recent articles on the subject.
May 2, 2009
Posted by Kenneth Weidner. (we are looking in to this and will post what we know)
Yesterday, (April 30th, 2009) my wife and I visited Elkhorn Slough for the first time. We were both amazed by beauty of the slough and the abundance of wildlife. However, we came upon what appeared to be a mini-holocaust for cormorants. We tried to count the number of corpses but because they were slightly above us while kayaking; and they were so close together it was difficult. My best guess was at least 10 and possibly as many as 20 dead cormorants in a 6 ft. by 4 ft area. I reported it to the monterey kayaking people but they seemed to think it was a natural occurance. It didn’t appear nautral to me but I’m no expert. I would appreciate comments from someone with expertise. I’ve several photos if you would like to see please send me a request at the email above.
April 6, 2009
I love this photo. It was sent to me by ESF’s own Kevin Contreras.
It was taken back in February.
by Kevin Contreras
March 19, 2009
The first Harbor Seal pups of the season have been seen at Elkhorn Slough…
http://elkhornsloughsafari.blogspot.com/2009/03/first-seal-puppy.html
March 6, 2009
Many of you have seen the now famous photo of the sea otter holding a video camera taken by Enrique Aguirre. Here is the story behind that incredible photo in the photographer’s own words.
March 4, 2009
SPRING MIGRATORY SHOREBIRD MONITORING
Please join us for the second spring shorebird survey to catch the migrants as they move through the area as well as census the resident shorebirds.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Teams of volunteer birders will be counting birds within defined areas along the main channel (by boat), and at four walk-in estuarine sites. We particularly need help from expert birders (i.e. those that can readily identify the various species of waterbirds and shorebirds), but also welcome novices to count easily identified species. Please RSVP if you can join us, and list your first and second choice locations:
Main Channel boat survey 7:00am-11:00am
North Harbor (Jetty Road), 8:00-10:00am
Parson’s Overlook, 8:00-10:00am
South Marsh, 8:00-10:00am
North Marsh 4:00-6:00pm
For more information or to sign up contact ,
Suzanne Fork
email: skfork “at” gmail.com
Research Biologist
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
831-728-2822
February 4, 2009
Just when I thought I’d seen every otter photo possible – This one is a must see…
http://enriqueaguirre.blogspot.com/2009/02/its-wild-wild-world.html
February 3, 2009
February 3, 2009
SIGHTINGS for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
South Marsh Loop: Common Loon; Pied-billed Grebe; Horned Grebe; Eared Grebe; Western Grebe; American White Pelicans; Brown Pelicans; Double-crested Cormorants; Pelagic Cormorant; Great Blue Herons; Great & Snowy Egrets; Gadwalls; Buffleheads; Ruddy Ducks; Red-breasted Mergansers; Northern Pintails; Green-winged Teals; Common Goldeneye; Canada Goose; Mallards; Greater Scaup; Northern Harrier; Turkey Vulture; White-tailed Kite; Red-shouldered Hawk; Red-tailed Hawk; Cooper’s Hawk; Peregrine Falcon; Black-bellied Plovers; California Quail; Killdeer; Willets; American Avocets; Greater Yellowlegs; Long-billed Curlew; Marbled Godwits; Spotted Sandpipers; Sandpiper spp.; Dowitchers spp.; Ring-billed Gulls; Western Gulls; Bonaparte’s Gull; Band-tailed Pigeon; Mourning Dove; Forster’s Tern; Anna’s Hummingbird; Belted Kingfisher; Acorn Woodpeckers; Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers; Northern Flicker; Black Phoebe; Steller’s Jay; Western Scrub-Jay; Hutton’s Vireo; American Crow; Chestnut-backed Chickadee; Oak Titmouse; European Starling; Bushtit; Bewick’s Wren; Ruby-crowned Kinglet; California Thrasher; Wrentit; Common Yellowthroat; Yellow Warbler; Townsend’s Warbler; Spotted Towhee; California Towhee; Song Sparrow; House Finch; White & Golden-crowned Sparrows; House Sparrow
North Marsh: Canada Goose; Spotted Sandpiper ; Buffleheads; Red-tailed Hawks; Killdeer
Hudson’s Landing: Eared Grebe; Western Grebe; American Wigeons; Greater Scaup; Buffleheads; Common Goldeneye; American Coots; Black-bellied Plovers; Black-necked Stilts; Greater Yellowlegs; Willets; Marbled Godwits; Western & Least Sandpipers; Dowitchers
Jetty Rd.: Common Loon; Pied-billed Grebes; Western Grebe; Eared Grebe; Surf Scoters; Lesser Scaup; Double-crested Cormorant; Great Blue Heron; Great & Snowy Egrets; Buffleheads; Common Goldeneye; Willets; Marbled Godwits; Sandpipers spp.; Dowitchers; Long-billed Curlews; White-tailed Kites; Greater Yellowlegs
Thanks again to our spotters: Kathleen Klein, Shirley Murphy, Plant ladies and your reporter Sheryl Gaebelein
