Black Oystercatchers: Cape Kiwanda

In 2005, the first year of the Oregon BLOY land surveys overseen by Elise Elliot-Smith at USGS, I found pairs at Cape Kiwanda and figured they were nesting somewhere. In May of 2006, I found a nest on Haystack Rock on the ledge on the east side of the rock. Elise, who helped survey there, saw chicks on June 15. However, the chicks that year were apparently lost. The ledge is on the left side of the rock in this photo.

The ledge is the lighter area in the center of the below photo. Not easy to see tiny black birds on that rock!

Mostly, I would just see a pair feeding on rocks on the south side of Cape Kiwanda and another pair that fed on rocks on the north side of the cape.

Over the years, the only indication of fledging success was when I saw an adult with a fledged juvenile feeding with the parent on the foraging area on one side of the cape or the other.

On 5/11/08 I saw a pair copulate on the cape and then fly to the Rock and walk out of sight to the left of the nest ledge. On 5/29/08 I watched one feed on cape then fly to Rock and disappear. On 6/19/08, I saw 2 adult BLOY and 1 chick on ledge. That was the last time that year I saw BLOY on the ledge.

In May 2009, I saw a pair copulate on north side of Cape. In August 2009 a pair plus juvenile (1/2 beak black) were on tidal flats at south side of Cape. Aug. 21, 2009 notes: "pair with fledgling, bill half black, closely attended by one adult with other adult nearby"

juvenile "closely attended by adult" 8/21/09

juvenile (fledgling) 8/21/09

In May of 2010 and 2011 I saw pairs copulate on the cape. In 2011 one pair flew in from opposite directions on 6/3. One stayed to forage while the other disappeared. I suspected nesting. But on 6/9 and 6/16 they foraged together so I suspected their nest, if they nested, had failed.

In 2012 a pair apparently nested on the ledge but out of sight. I witnessed several apparent incubation exchanges in June but by July no BLOY could be seen on the ledge. One was seen on the NW corner of the Rock in August but too far to identify as to adult or juvenile. 3 adults were hanging out together in their usual high tide resting spot on the cape on 8/8 and 8/14.


8/14/12

8/14/12

In 2013 nesting was suspected on the Rock ledge in June but I never saw chicks there. However, on 8/28 there were 2 fledglings with 2 adults on the south Cape flats.

8/28/13

An adult took a large hunk of shellfish and flew to the Rock on 8/21/13. On 10/15/13 there were 2 adults and 1 fledgling on the North side of the Cape at the same time as another 2 adults and 1 fledgling were on the South side of cape. Johnny and I were on opposite sides of the cape in radio contact.

10/15/13 North flats

In 2014 I found pairs on the Cape but no fledglings later in the year.

In 2015 I saw one BLOY carry food to Rock from South flats on 8/5... very late for feeding a chick! On 8/19 I saw 2 adults on the North side of the Cape. Then on 9/3 I found 2 adults and 1 fledgling on the South tidal flats!

9/3/15

9/13/15

In 2016 there was a pair on 5/7 on the South flats and a pair on the North flats. This year (2016) Portland Audubon took over the surveys and gave Cape Kiwanda to another surveyor so I did not make as many trips there from this year onward and never heard if any nesting or fledglings were detected in 2016 or 2017. Also access to view the south flats became virtually impossible with the increased attempts by the Park to keep people off the west portion of the Cape. So I have been limited to viewing the North flats since then.

However, a dory fisherman friend, David Morrison, reported BLOY feeding chicks on the south side of the Rock in 2018. And on August 3, 2018, he saw 2 adults and 1 juvenile on the north side of the Rock. So, watched or not, BLOY continue to nest on Haystack Rock at Cape Kiwanda.

On August 20, 2018, I found two adults and a fledgling on the north flats of Cape Kiwanda. So Dave's chick survived to fly to the Cape with its parents.

In 2019, Dave noticed no nesting activity on the Rock. I saw two adults foraging together on 10/24 on the flats viewable from the lookout area in the center of the cape, no fledglings.

In 2022, the new monitor asked to meet us at the Cape and show him the Observation Points. We did that on 5/24 and saw a BLOY noisily escorting another BLOY away from The Rock, all the way to shore. We did not see it return but later saw 2 BLOY resting, apparently, low on the Rock north of the old nesting ledge. Before I took photos, one disappeared to the other side of the ledge behind where they both had been. One remained, head tucked under wing sleeping, for photos. Here are a series of photos to show where on the rock the resting BLOY was.

2005 nesting suspected
2006 unknown no. of chicks hatched, apparently did not fledge
2007 nesting unknown
2008 chick seen on Rock
2009 1 fledgling seen on South cape
2010 nesting suspected (pairs seen copulating)
2011 nesting suspected (pairs seen copulating)
2012 nested but apparently failed
2013 2 fledglings seen on S cape with 1 surviving, 1 fledgling on N
2014 nesting suspected (pairs seen on Cape)
2015 1 fledgling South cape
2016 nesting unknown
2017 nesting unknown
2018 chicks seen being fed on the South side of the Rock, juvenile seen on North side and later seen fledged with parents on north side of Cape
2019 no nesting activity seen, no fledglings found
2020 not accessed

2021 not accessed