Today’s herring spawn event occurred on the algae cover riprap in the SW corner
of the LNG tank. When I got there the eggs were exposed at low tide
And a variety of gulls were feeding on them. At the waterline dabbling ducks
were feeding on the eggs including American and Eurasian wigeon and mallards. A
smaller spawning event likely occurred at Port dock 5 where the sea lions haul
out. I watch sea lions catching herring there and some gull were successful
too. About 30 scoters we gathered there as well. Birds were also concentrated
in two low areas east of the LNG Tank. These low areas contain eel grass so
there may have been a spawn there as well. Throughout the day herds of sea
lions were seen going up and down the bay eagerly chasing fish. Wildlife
viewing was was sporadic and brief today. Hoping for better in the coming days.
Roy
On Feb 25, 2019, at 5:11 PM, Wayne Hoffman <whoffman@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi -
Range is right, but I can elaborate. In good years the main spawn takes
place over 3-5 days, with each day's activity at a different spot. Last year
the observed sites were off the LNG tank, off the international terminal, off
the port docks, and at the South Jetty. Some years there have been one or
two follow-up events at about 2-week intervals farther up the bay. The show
is easiest to watch at the South Jetty. The activity follows a pattern as
follows:
1: 1 to 10 days of congregation in deeper water (ship channels) with sea
lions and birds feeding on the congregated fish.
2. a spawning event that lasts several hours in shallower water or against a
bank. Sea Lions and birds are very active and excited. Herring may jump
into the sir trying to escape Sea Lions.
3. often more feeding on the straggling herring the next day.
4. Up to 12 days of concentrated feeding on the roe: Scoters and other
diving ducks gather into large rafts and often dive synchronously. Gulls try
to steal roe from the ducks. Ducks often surface carrying chunks of eelgrass
covered with eggs.
If the spawn occurred against an armored shore and included high tide there
are a few days also of gulls and sometimes shorebirds picking roe off the
rocks.
it can be spectacular throughout.
Wayne
On 2/25/2019 7:51:58 PM, Range Bayer <range.bayer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi,
Is this a one day event, or likely to continue on Tuesday?
SHORT ANSWER. The actual spawning is brief, but birds feeding on the
herring eggs that were spawned today should be visible tomorrow and
perhaps for another week. The number of birds will depend upon how
many herring spawned and water temperature before the eggs hatch. The
kinds and numbers of birds at the site can vary depending on whether
the eggs are exposed at low tide or only available to diving birds or
birds that pirate herring eggs from them.
There is usually more than one herring spawn at different sites in
Yaquina Bay each season, so this may not be the last spawning this
season.
----------------------------------------
LONG ANSWER. There are two sets of bird activity associated with
herring at Yaquina Bay. First, when live herring are abundant during
the spawning season, gulls, cormorants, and sea lions actively feed on
them, often in together (refs 1, 5).
At the time of a herring actual spawning event, birds and sea lions
can also feed on the spawning herring adults. But each individual
spawning with visible milt lasts less than a day (5). Prior to 1980,
there were 3-7 spawnings at Yaquina Bay per spawning season from
mid-January to mid-April (ref 2). Thee site of spawning varied at
Yaquina Bay during a spawning season from the jetties upstream to
near Sawyer's landing (ref 2). An ODFW 13 minute long video for
spawning occurring on Feb. 27, 2017, discusses herring and spawning
and shows the white area of milt for a spawning at the 1st rock finger
west of the Yaquina Bay bridge as well as giving other information
(ref 3).
After herring that have spawned for one event leave the site of their
spawning, the eggs remain attached to a substrate (including rocks and
eelgrass) at that site. The eggs then become food for many bird
species for several days. I found 17 species, and suspect there were
more because I did not identify all the gull species (ref. 2). Birds
feeding on herring eggs at the site of a herring spawn lasted 7-10
days for the four spawnings in the spring of 1979 (ref 2: Fig.1). The
herring eggs hatch in about 10 days after spawning, dependent on water
temperature (6:18).
Bird feeding activity on herring and their eggs attracts birder
attention with 15 postings to OBOL that included "herring" in the
Subject line in Feb. 2018, including by Wayne Hoffman and Roy Lowe who
were closely following herring events in Yaquina Bay then
(https://www.freelists.org/archive/obol/02-2018). There is also
another video of birds at a herring spawn on Feb. 28, 2018 at Yaquina
Bay (ref. 4). Also see Wayne's article in 2017 (ref. 5).
Bird and sea lion activity with herring is something special to see
(ref 5)! Birds feeding on eggs can be quite close to shore, so good
views are possible with just binoculars or for photographers.
References
1) Birds Associated with California Sea Lions at Yaquina Estuary,
Oregon. The Murrelet Vol. 64, No. 2 (Summer, 1983), pp. 48-51.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3534691 ;
2) BIRDS FEEDING ON HERRING EGGS AT THE YAQUINA ESTUARY, OREGON.
1980. Condor, 82:193-198.
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v082n02/p0193-p0198.pdf
ABSTRACT.-I observed 17 bird species feeding on
herring eggs throughout high and low tides at high rocky intertidal
and low intertidal areas in an Oregon estuary. At low tide gulls fed
directly on eggs, but at high tide they pirated eggs from diving birds
or picked up eggs drifting in water. Brant,wigeon, and coots picked up
eggs while walking, or tipping up or through piracy; in deeper water
coots dove for eggs. Diving ducks obtained eggs by diving, by piracy,
or by picking up eggs while swimming. Less than 25% of the gulls,
coots, or Buffleheads, but as many as 45% of the scaups and 83%of the
scoters observed in the lower estuary were in groups feeding on
herring eggs. The species composition and abundance of birds varied
within the estuary and probably reflected: 1) the onset of spring
migration; 2) immigration of birds into the estuary to feed on eggs;
3) the presence of birds near a site of egg deposition: and 4) the
domination of herring egg deposits by gulls in the upper intertidal
zone.... Birds feeding on herring eggs were present at site 1 from
18-25 February, at site 2 from 18-27 February, at sites 3 and 4 from
17-23 March, and at site 5 from 4-10 April.
3) Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. February 27, 2017. 13
minute video. Herring are spawning in Yaquina Bay right now. Join
ODFW biologists to learn more about
herring.https://www.facebook.com/MyODFW/videos/herring-are-spawning-in-yaquina-bay-right-now-join-odfw-biologists-to-learn-more/10155018598120890/
4) Stephen Rossiter. Feb. 27, 2018. Massive flock of ducks emerges!
- Newport, OR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFgk_wau5Q4 ;
5) Wayne Hoffman. 2017. Mass spawning of Pacific Herring: A
wildlife spectacle. Tillamook Coast Life Blog.
https://tillamookcoast.com/blog/spawning-of-pacific-herring/ ;
6) Audubon California. 2018. Eelgrass, herring, and waterbirds in San
Francisco Bay: a threats and opportunities assessment. Report to the
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Richardson Bay Audubon Center &
Sanctuary. Tiburon, California.
http://ca.audubon.org/sites/g/files/amh421/f/static_pages/attachments/ehwb_white_paper_audubon_2018.pdf
Range Bayer, Newport
On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 2:02 PM Lars Norgren wrote:
Is this a oneday event, or likely to continue on Tuesday?POST: Send your post to obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mon, Feb 25, 2019, 10:06 AM Range Bayer
Hi,
Chuck Philo called this morning at 10 AM. He said the herring were
spawning near the LNG tank at Yaquina Bay. There was lots of activity
of birds and sea lions that happens as they try to catch live herring,
but the clue to actual spawning was the white (milt-colored) water.
Range Bayer, Newport, Oregon.
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