BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE COMMON MURRE 55 



Rot* attended in< 



Rodt without breedng potential 



figure 2.9. Distribution of common murre 

 colonies in Washington (Clallam to Pacific 

 (bounties). 



Willoughby Rock, and Carroll Island still exist 

 (Figure 2.9). Eggs or chicks were confirmed only at 

 Willoughby Rock and Carroll Island (Dawson 1907; 

 Jones 1909). One egg was collected by Dawson at Carroll 

 Islet on 21 July 1906 from a colony of about 100 pairs 

 with "most [eggs] hatched" (SBNHM egg records). Three 

 eggs in the WFVZ collection were obtained on 20 June 

 1907 at "Birdrock." Washington (WFVZ No. 47,472- 

 47,474). Another egg collected on 12 June 1910 at 

 Willoughby Island was from a colony of "500 pairs on 

 south slope" (SBNHM egg records). No murres were 

 observed at several other rocks subsequently attended 

 by murres in historical literature: Erin's Bride, Split 

 Rock, Destruction Island, North Rock, Rounded Islet, 

 Giant's Graveyard. Quillayute Needles, Cake Rock, 

 White Rock. Flattery Rocks (including Old Rock, also 

 known as Bodelteh Islands), Point of the Arches 

 (including Silversides), and Tatoosh Island. At Carroll 

 Pillar (adjacent to Carroll Island, also known as 

 "Paahwoke-it"), 200 murres were recorded, but since 

 then, only small numbers of murres have been observed 

 sporadically in 1917 and 1978 (Speich and Wahl 1989; 

 Appendixes F and G). 



On 13-17 July 1959, a combination of aerial and 

 boat surveys of seabird colonies was conducted along 

 the Washington outer coast, which recorded 4,450 

 murres at seven locations plus 550 at sea off Cape Flattery 



(Kenyon and Scheffer 1962). The largest colonies were 

 at Carroll Island and Willoughby Rock (2,000 murres 

 each, but they were uncertain of exact locations) with 

 smaller colonies at Tatoosh Island (200) and White Rock 

 (100). Small numbers (100) were noted at Bodelteh 

 Islands on 13 July 1959 but none were recorded on 17 

 July 1959; fewer than 100 murres were noted in 1978- 

 79 but none between 1980 and 1995 (Speich and Wahl 

 1989; Appendixes F and G). Murres noted at "Flattery 

 Rocks" in 1914 may have referred to Bodelteh Islands 

 or White Rock (Jewett et al. 1953; Speich and Wahl 

 1989). At Cake Rock, 50 murres were noted on 13 July 

 1959; small numbers (25-175) were noted in 1967, 

 1990, and 1992 (Speich and Wahl 1989; Appendixes F 

 and G). We have considered sporadic observations of 

 murres at Bodelteh Islands and Cake Rock to reflect 

 irregular attendance. Various other observations at 

 several known colonies between 1907 and 1959 indicate 

 long-term use of many colony sites (Jewett et al. 1953; 

 Speich and Wahl 1989). 



Manuwal and Campbell (1979) summarized data 

 from USFWS aerial surveys (visual estimates from fixed- 

 wing aircraft) conducted in the early 1 970s and tabulated 

 1 1.950 murres at 1 1 locations. The largest estimates of 

 the numbers of murres present were reported at Grenville 

 Arch (3,000), Willoughby Rock (3,000), and Split Rock 

 (2, 100). Smaller colonies were found at Point Grenville 



