Images

Tazlina River bridge

Lesser Yellowlegs adult male, “A73”, watches for predators as he follows his recently hatched chicks through the boreal landscape of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

Lesser Yellowlegs incubating near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Since the 1970s, this species has declined by ~63%, however, the potential cause(s) of the decline are not fully understood.

Lesser Yellowlegs nest near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The egg on the far left of the frame is ‘pipped’, meaning that the chick’s bill has broken through the egg membrane and shell and will emerge within 24 hours. The chick in the middle of the frame recently emerged from the egg and is covered in fluid.

Hatching Lesser Yellowlegs nest near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The egg on the far left of the frame is ‘pipped’, meaning that the chick’s bill has broken through the egg membrane and shell and will emerge within 24 hours. Since the 1970s, this species has declined by ~63%, yet the potential cause(s) of the decline are not fully understood.

A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre at its nesting site on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2019. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.pdf.

Black-legged Kittiwakes flush from their nests at Gull Island as Bald Eagle flies by. Gull Island is located in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. 

Common Murres on the water near their colony at Gull Island, Alaska.

A Bald Eagle disturbs Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting on Gull Island, Alaska.

A Common Murre carries a Pacific sand lance, one of the most common prey items for murres, near its colony at Gull Island, Alaska.

Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and Common Murres have all been tested for and contained harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine ecosystems.

Traffic counter placed along an oil field road in northern Alaska to assess the responses of caribou to vehicle traffic.

Beaver lodge and drained impoundment in tributary of the Noatak River, Noatak National Preserve

Impounded water above beaver dam on the Wrench Creek, Noatak National Preserve

Lesser Yellowlegs chicks are precocial, meaning that they hatch in an advanced state and are capable of feeding themselves and moving independently almost immediately after hatch. Since the 1970s, this species has declined by ~63%, yet the potential cause(s) of the decline are not fully understood.

Beaver dam and lodge on the Ahaliknak Creek, Noatak National Preserve

Chilkat River sonar on a bridge

Chilkat River bridge

Kashwitna River bridge debris

Kashwitna River bridge

Supporting the project of winter habitat of juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River.