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Date: 3/31/26 11:37 am From: Kaaren Perry via groups.io <surfbird1...> Subject: [slocobirding] [CALBIRDS] Coastal seabird numbers and mortality
Hello All, A few days ago a non-birding friend of mine had been walking the beach in Morro Bay and saw many dead "black and white" birds dead along the sand. Never a good sign! I was unaware of the situation and today a notice on CalBirds provided some information. Sending the email along FYI, forwarded to CalBirds by Paul Lehman. Kaaren Perry Morro Bay > Begin forwarded message: > > > Subject: [CALBIRDS] Fw: Coastal seabird numbers and mortality > Date: March 31, 2026 at 11:23:17 AM PDT > To: "<calbirds...>" <calbirds...> > > Here's the latest news release on dead or dying birds on beaches from California Department of Fish and Wildlife, including links on How the Public Can Help. > https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-finds-starvation-to-be-primary-cause-of-increased-mortalities-in-california-seabirds > > Reporting these events (with photos) is critical to assessing the scale: > https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/Monitoring/Mortality-Report > > Justyn Stahl > North Park > > > On Tue, Mar 31, 2026 at 8:56 AM <lehman.paul...> <mailto:<lehman.paul...> via groups.io <http://groups.io/> <lehman.paul...> <mailto:<verizon.net...>> wrote: > There has been a fair amount of online discussion and websites discussing increasing seabird mortality, with beached birds being found in larger numbers, not only the usual suspects like pelicans and cormorants, but also some murres and rhinos. The water is warmer than normal and there may be a food source issue developing, although as recently as late February fishing captains were telling me that there were plenty of bait fish around. > > > Sometimes under these conditions the best fishing is right near the shore, and I just finished spending 2 hours looking off the end of Seacoast Drive near the Tijuana River mouth and near the Imperial Beach Pier and tallied a record total of 430 Red-throated Loons, a species that annually stages along this section of coast in March and early April but not normally in nearly these numbers. Also about 100 Pacific Loons, 1800 Western Grebes, and four Cocos Boobies. > > > Paul Lehman, San Diego > > > Sent from AOL on Android <https://aolapp.onelink.me/eG2g?pid=NativePlacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_320_EmailSignature_AttributionDL&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100002473&af_sub5=SentFromNewAOLApp__Interstitial_&af_ios_store_cpp=ce85ce34-ad0f-4811-a92b-a172743b064e&af_android_url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?<id...>&listing=email_signature_attribution> > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#24003): https://groups.io/g/slocobirding/message/24003 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/118602120/858290 Group Owner: slocobirding+<owner...> Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/slocobirding/unsub [<lists...>] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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