Annual Pigeon Guillemot Season Is Here!
By Ellen Nelson, Whidbey Audubon Society (WAS) Liaison to Salish Sea Guillemot Network (SSGN)
The Salish Sea Guillemot Network (SSGN) is about to launch the 2025 season of the Pigeon Guillemot Summer Breeding Season Survey.
The SSGN is made up of seven regions in the Salish Sea led by a regional coordinator. We are pleased to welcome back Shannon Boldt for another season as coordinator. Whidbey Audubon Society has been an ongoing generous sponsor of the Pigeon Guillemot (PG) survey in the Salish Sea since its inception. Our Audubon’s contribution for the coordinator’s position is now in concert with the financial support from the other SSGN regions. These contributions give the entire PG community science effort a sense of community, knitting the regions together with a common purpose. The regional coordinators meet monthly beginning in April to coordinate their efforts.
Our Whidbey colony coordinators met for the first time this season on March 13th. Excitement is in the air as we prepare for the new monitoring season which officially begins Sunday, June 1. We have an energetic and highly skilled team who, along with other responsibilities, recruit and train volunteers, manage the data collection and coordinate with other organizations.
If you haven’t joined the loyal group of PG volunteers yet, now is the time! If you love birds, especially PGs, you can join in the monitoring, spend time at the beach this summer and be part of a citizen science project. Learn more about the survey purpose and data on the Salish Sea Guillemot Network website.
We are seeking new and seasoned volunteers for this year’s survey. There are openings for regular beach monitors and substitute monitors. We currently need volunteers for sites from mid-island, Greenback, and north to Oak Harbor. We could definitely use volunteers with Navy Base access for the colonies on the base.
To register now contact Debbi Williams. Send Debbi your name, email address, phone number, mailing address and information about any mobility issues/restrictions. Colony assignments will be completed by the first week in May.
The training for new volunteers begins in mid-May and involves online training and in-person beach sessions. It will enable a new volunteer to step on the beach with binoculars and be ready to start monitoring.
Govinda Holtby will lead a Zoom training on Wednesday, May 14 from 7-8:30 p.m.
Data Entry training will be held online on Wednesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 28, both from 7-8:30 p.m.
In-person volunteer training on the beach will be at Shore Meadow in Freeland on Friday, May 28 at 8 a.m.
Our annual Pigeon Guillemot Appreciation Day will be held on June 27. Join us for a fun afternoon of visiting with new and old volunteers. There’ll be music, crafts, food and drinks. It’s a great way to learn more about our beloved birds! The location will be Ott & Hunter on First Street in Langley from 3-5 p.m. Put that on your calendar!
PG volunteers will also be participating in the upcoming Wings over Whidbey Festival on May 17th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pacific Rim Institute in Coupeville. Volunteers will host a table with activities, swag and information about PGs and the survey.
