Grounded Murres (Uria aalge)

Observation: While snow machining on New Years day, we observed flocks of Common Murres (Uria aalge) flying in various directions, as well as, dead or dying birds scampering around the 'Fish Lakes' area. About 50 or more miles up the Susitna Valley between the Yentna and Kahiltna River drainage's . It was a rather unusual sight to see, at first we thought we were looking at penguins and realized those were murres. Moses Tcheripanoff, ANTHC for Greg Giauque, Teacher, Twindly Bridge Charter School (TBCS)

LEO says: To get an update and review of murre activity along the Northern and Eastern Pacific shoreline, check out the University of Washington's, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) blogs,

• Blog: Alaska Murre Update; "By now, you’ve likely heard the news of the startlingly high number of Com­mon Mur­res wash­ing ashore in Prince William Sound and beyond, as well as the reports of mur­res fly­ing inland to the Mat-Su and else­where. In fact, many of you have been out there on affected beaches in Homer, Seward and else­where counting the bodies and collecting our baseline data. Thank you for those efforts, and particularly during the dead of winter..." and

• Blog: 2015 in review: Murres on the Beach; "Goodbye 2015! You were a strange year for the North Pacific: “the blob” stuck around, elevated numbers of Com­mon Mur­res washed-in throughout the COASST range, harmful algal blooms, and lets not forget the Cassin’s Auk­let wreck last winter. What does it all mean?"

Media: KUAC Radio, Researchers: 'Blob' of Unusually Warm Ocean Water May be Causing Seabirds to Starve - by Tim Ellis