These small rodents are a key part of the Northwest Arctic ecosystem.
A couple of weeks ago I spotted a small gull on the second bridge behind Kotzebue. The bird wouldn't fly and was walking slowly.
Observers in Port Heiden, Alaska report significantly reduced sea gull populations and fewer gull eggs for subsistence, coinciding with decreased seal numbers and increased fox populations.
Four dead seals have washed up on a beach in Trinidad, California, with locals noting an unusual occurrence as they have not seen this many washed up at once in recent years.
This bird was a noticed on the beach landing area of the community but not touched.
Dead birds suspected to have died from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza have been found on Kigigak Island and Tutakoke River in Alaska, with other bird species displaying unusual behaviors.
This is the quietest spring I’ve experienced. It’s not my hearing. The Merlin app is hardly picking any bird songs up.
There are miles of dead fish washing up on the beach. That's not all. Just breathing the air can be harmful.
Two dead otters (one recent) on Kasitsna Bay side. We also found another one yesterday on the Kachemak side.
Walked two miles of spit and did not see any others.
Die-offs of krill are in some cases associated with hypoxia (low oxygen) excess sediment suspended in the water column and changes in water temperature. There were recent reports of high levels of Alexandrium in water samples in the areas, and Norton Sound Health Corporation is performing some testing of krill samples (see below). There was also an unprecedented storm event only a week ago, unusual for the storm surge and early season.
Ali Ralson was riding her 4 Wheeler towards Cape Blossom and came upon a beach full of fish. It appears that most of the fish are stickleback although there may be other species involved too. This would suggest an environmental issue that would impact multiple fish species rather than a pathogen. One potential cause could be harmful algal toxins.
Between the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2022, APU students observed a dramatic decrease in the number of Peregrine Falcons between Eagle and Circle, Alaska.
There were alternatives for Trans Mountain Corporation to digging a trench in the river to lay pipe during the time the salmon were running.
The cormorants moved in when the peregrins did not return this year. "We believe (they did not return) because of the bird flu."
I have photos of four different sea cucumbers decaying, but my friend claims to have observed around 10 dead sea cucumbers.
There were a plenty of what appeared to be juvenile dead stickle back fish on the top of the embankment of a few ponds.
"Since about May 25, crews have been seeing multiple species showing what we believe are signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The signs we are seeing widespread is a headshaking that we equate to "getting the cobwebs out", like a person may do when they first wake up. This behavior occurs regularly every couple minutes. This behavior has been observed in: black brant, cackling geese, bar-tailed godwits, dunlin, lapland longspurs, spectacled eiders, emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, sabines gulls, glaucous gulls, and red-necked phalaropes."
Over the past five days there have been increasing reports of unusual behavior in a variety of bird species including brant goose, snow goose, white-fronted goose, and Canada goose.
There are at least 10 or more what appears to be otherwise healthy trees that have just fallen over.
All Topics
All Countries
Any Date
Apply