Avian aerial surveys were conducted in the
Colville Delta in 2007 in support of the Alpine
Satellite Development Project (ASDP) for
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., and Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation. The surveys continued
long-term data acquisition begun in 1992 on the
Colville Delta. Surveys focused on the abundance,
distribution, and habitat use of 5 focal species:
Spectacled Eider, King Eider, Tundra Swan,
Yellow-billed Loon, and Brant. These five species
were selected because of 1) threatened or sensitive
status, 2) indications of declining populations, 3)
restricted breeding range, or 4) concern of
regulatory agencies for development impacts.
Monitoring a collection of focal species with
differing habitat requirements provides both
in-depth data on species trends and responses to a
changing environment and a general view of
ecosystem health. Aerial surveys for eiders, swans,
and Brant were conducted from fixed-wing
airplanes. Surveys for loons were conducted from a
helicopter. In 2007, the ASDP comprised 5 satellite
drill sites (2 completed, 3 proposed) that would
send oil for processing to the existing Alpine
Facility on the Colville Delta.
The Colville Delta study area (552 km²)
encompassed the entire delta from the East
Channel of the Colville River to the westernmost
distributary of the Nibliq Channel. The Alpine
Facility began oil production on the Colville Delta
in 2000. Two ASDP satellite drill sites were built
in the winter of 2005: CD-3 was built as a roadless
drill site to reduce its gravel footprint in eider
breeding habitat on the outer delta, and CD-4 was
connected by a road on the south side of the Alpine
Facility. The CD-3 site began producing oil in
August 2006, and CD-4 began producing in
November 2006. The NE NPRA study area
(1,571 km²) abutted the western edge of the
Colville Delta and encompassed 4 proposed
development sites that are part of the ASDP: drill
sites CD-5, CD-6, and CD-7, and the Clover A
gravel mine site. No surveys were conducted in NE
NPRA because of delays in permitting the CD-5
drill site. In 2007, avian surveys for ASDP were
conducted in the Colville Delta study area only.
Each spring, open houses were held in
Nuiqsut to allow residents to visit with CPAI
biologists and other scientists to discuss
information on and concerns for resources in the
Colville Delta and NPRA areas. In 2007, a meeting
was scheduled with the Kuukpik Subsistence
Oversight Panel and slide shows were presented on
current studies at an open house on 19 June 2007.
The open house was attended by approximately 40
people from the village of Nuiqsut. During the
summer field season in 2007, CPAI posted weekly
updates on bulletin boards in the post office, store,
and community center in Nuiqsut. The updates
reported on surveys (for example, type of aircraft
used, altitude of aircraft, and species enumerated)
conducted the previous week and the schedule of
surveys for the upcoming week. The open house
meetings and weekly updates served to keep local
residents informed on the progress and results of
studies conducted by CPAI in the area near
Nuiqsut.
Results of aerial surveys for focal bird species
indicated that 2007 was a relatively good year for
large birds in the Colville Delta study area.
Numbers of birds, nests, and broods were generally
above long-term averages and in several cases
were records or near records.
Spectacled Eiders were more numerous (52
eiders) on the Colville Delta during the pre-nesting
aerial survey in 2007 than during similar surveys in
the previous 7 years—a reversal in the decline that
began in 2000. As in previous years, Spectacled
Eiders were found primarily in the CD North
subarea.
King Eiders were about half as numerous as
Spectacled Eiders on the Colville Delta during the
pre-nesting aerial survey in 2007 and most of the
King Eiders were in the Northeast Delta subarea.
The density of King Eiders on the Colville Delta
study area in 2007 was just above the long-term
average. One pair of Steller’s Eiders was seen
flying over the Colville Delta and a pair of
Common Eiders was seen just outside the study
area in marine waters.
Yellow-billed Loons had one of their most
productive years since surveys on the Colville
Delta began in 1993. We found the second highest
number of Yellow-billed Loon nests (25) and the
highest number of Yellow-billed Loon broods (17)
recorded in 13 years of aerial surveys in the
Colville Delta study area. As in previous years,
Yellow-billed Loon nests and broods were
concentrated in the central part of the delta in 2007,
and all nests were on lakes where Yellow-billed
Loons have nested previously.
Yellow-billed loon nesting success was the
highest recorded in the 3 years that we have
conducted weekly nest monitoring. Overall, 22 of
31 nesting pairs of Yellow-billed Loons in the
Colville Delta study area in 2007 were observed
with young for an apparent nesting success of 71%.
Hatch began between nest visits on 10 and 17 July.
Four of the 22 broods observed during weekly
monitoring surveys in 2007 were lost by the time
of the brood-rearing aerial survey (20–21 August).
The presence of egg membranes and numerous
(≥30) eggshell fragments were good indicators of
nest success and coincided with the presence of
broods.
Forty-three nests and 6 broods of Pacific
Loons were counted opportunistically in the
Colville Delta study area in 2007. One brood of
Red-throated Loons but no nests were seen during
aerial surveys. In the CD-3 area, 12 additional
Pacific Loon and 9 additional Red-throated Loon
nests were found during ground searches
conducted as part of another study. Two Pacific
Loon broods and 1 Red-throated Loon brood also
were found during ground searches in July.
Forty-two Tundra Swan nests were found in
the Colville Delta study area in 2007, the fourth
highest count over 14 years of aerial surveys. The
brood count of 33 swan broods in the Colville
Delta study area also was the fourth-highest since
1992. Apparent nesting success was 79%. The
mean brood size in 2007 was 2.6 young; 86 swan
young were counted on the delta, and only 3
previous years produced more young swans.
Brant and Snow Geese were numerous in the
Colville Delta study area in 2007. The
brood-rearing aerial survey recorded 980 Brant
(446 adults and 534 young) in 6 brood-rearing
groups. The total count was slightly below average
for coastal area surveys that have been conducted
intermittently over a 17-year period. On the same
survey in 2007, 1,154 Snow Geese (596 adults and
558 young) in 13 brood-rearing groups were
counted in the Colville Delta study area. The
previous high count was 997 Snow Geese in 2006.
Forty-one Glaucous Gull nests and at least 22
broods were counted in the Colville Delta study
area during aerial surveys in 2007. Three additional Glaucous Gull broods were found
during ground searches during July. Nest counts for
Glaucous Gulls in the Colville Delta study area
have ranged from 18 to 46 nests during 9 years of
surveys. No Sabine’s Gull colonies were observed
during the aerial survey for nesting loons in 2007,
however, 2 Sabine’s Gull nests were found during
ground searches.
