Monitoring of Populations and Productivity of Seabirds at St
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OCS Study MMS 90-0049 Monitoring Seabird Populations in Areas of Oil and Gas Development on the Alaskan Continental ShelE MONITORING OF POPULATIONS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SEABIRDS AT ST. GEORGE ISLAND, CAPE PEIRCE, AND BLUFF, ALASKA, 1989 Final Report Edited by Vivian M. Mendenhall U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management Marine and Coastal Bird Project Anchorage, Alaska OCS Study MMS 90-0049 MONITORING OF POPULATIONS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SEABIRDS AT ST. GEORGE ISLAND, CAPE PIERCE, AND BLUFF, ALASKA, 1989 Edited by Vivian M. Mendenhall U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bud Management Marine and Coastal Birds Project 101 1 East Tudor Rd. Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Submitted to: Minds Management Service Environment Studies Unit 949 East 36th Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 995 10 April 1991 The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Minerals Management Service, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the Federal Government of the United States. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... v LIST OF RGURES ........................................................................................................... ix ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... xi 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 Literam Cited ................................................................................................ 3 2 . GENERAL METHODS . By Vivian M. Mendenhall. Donald E . Dragoo. Lisa Haggblom, and Edward C. Murphy ................................................................ 6 Introduction..................................................................................................... 6 Populations ..................................................................................................... 6 Productivity ....................................................................................................... 7 Litemm Cited ............................................................................................. 9 ' 3 . ST. GEORGE ISLAND. By Donald E . Dragoo. Susan D. Schulmeister. Belinda K. Bain. and Vivian M. Mendenhall........................................................ 12 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 12 Methods ...........................................................................................................13 Results ............................................................................................................... 16 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 18 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 21 Literam Cited ................................................................................................ 21 Tables ................................................................................................................ 24 Figures ........................................................................................................... 31 4. CAPE PEIRCE. By Lisa Haggblorn and Vivian M. Men&nhall ......................... Introdllc~...................................................................................................... Mew............................................................................................................. Results ............................................................................................................... Discussion.... .................................................................................................... Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... Literam Cited ................................................................................................ Tables ............................................................................................................... Figures............................................................................................................... 5 . BLUFF . By Edward C. Murphy ................................................................................ 70 Introduction..................................................................................................... 70 Study area and methods ................................................................................... 70 Results............................................................................................................ 72 Discussion........................................................................................................ 74 Acknowledgements........................................................................................... 75 Literature Cited................................................................................................ 76 Tables................................................................................................................ 78 Figures............................................................................................................. 93 6. EVALUATION OF AN ALTERNATE METHOD FOR ESTIMATING PRODUCTIVITY . By Susan K . Schulrneister. Vivian M. Mendenhall. and G . Vernon Byrd, Jr ................................................................................................ 100 Introduction....................................................................................................... 100 Methods............................................................................................................. 102 Results............................................................................................................... 102 Discussion......................................................................................................... 103 Literature Cited.......................................................................................... 108 Table................................................................................................................ 110 7 . GENERAL DISCUSSION AND COMPARISON OF COLONIES . By Vivian M. Mendenhall ....................................................................................... 111 Populations. ........................................................................................................ 111 Producnmty . ....................................................................................................... 112 Recommendations............................................................................................. 116 Literature Cited............................................................................................. 118 Tables ............................................................................................................ 121 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 125 A. Population counts on plots at St. George. 1989. B. Population wunts on plots at Cape Peirce. 1989. C. Population counts on plots at Bluff. 1989. D . Phmhsof seabird wlony cliffs at St. George. Cape Peirct. and Bluff . LIST OF TABLES Table & 3.1 Population plot strata used for calculating population parameters 14 at St. George Island, Alaska. 3.2 Black-legged kittiwake populations on common census plots at St. 14 George Island in 1989. 3.3 Estimates of the number of murres and kittiwakes on population plots 24 at St. George Island, Alaska, 1985-1989. 3.4 Nesting chronology of kittiwakes and murres at St. George Island, 25 Alaska, 1975-1989. 3.5 Reproductive perfcnmance of kittiwakes on productivity plots at 26 St. George Island, Alaska, 1989. 3.6 ~eproductiveperformance of murres on productivity plots at St. George 27 Island, Alaska, 1989. 3.7 Productivity estimates for murres and kittiwakes at St. George Island, 28 Alaska, 1985-1989. .-, 3.8 Reproductive perfmmance of kittiwakes on plots at St. George Island, 29 Alaska, 1976-1989. 3.9 Productivity of murres on plots at St. George Island, Alaska, 1977-1989. 30 4.1 Population and productivity plot monitoring at Cape Peirce, by year. 50 4.2 Population counts for black-legged kittiwake and common murre at Cape 52 Pe- 1989. 4.3 Duration of incubation, chick rearing, and total nesting period in days 53 for black-legged kittiwakes and common murres, Cape Peke, 1989. 4.4 Reproductive chronology of black-legged kittiwakes and common .murres 54 at Cape Peirce, 1989. pane Productivity parameters for black-legged kittiwakes and common murres 55 at Cape Peirce, 1989. Age-spacific frequencies of egg loss and chick mortality for black- legged kittiwakes and common murres, Cape Peirce, 1989. Birds recorded on beach south of Nanvak Bay, near Cape Peirce, 1989. Black-legged kittiwakes and common murres counted on population plots far which replicate counts were made, Cape Peirce, 1985-1989. Productivity of black-legged kittiwakes at Cape Peirce, 1970-1989. Productivity of common murres at Cape Peirce in 1988 and 1989. Timing and duration of field work and areas of data collection far reproduction of kittiwakes and