Marbled Murrelets in the Wet Northwest (California - Washington)

There is an article in the New York Times today about the Murrelets. Here is the descriptive paragraph on them:

The marbled murrelet, nicknamed mamu, is the only seabird that nests in the forests of the lower 48 states.

When the urge to breed strikes in the spring or summer, a murrelet flies 30 to 40 miles or more inland. The parents take turns sitting on the single egg. When the chick hatches, they ferry food back and forth, taking turns flying to the ocean to fetch fish for their offspring, up to eight times a day.

I have never heard of these birds. They nest in areas like the Redwood National and State Parks on the California North Coast. (These are the super-tall giant Redwoods, not the super-massive Sequoia Redwoods.) The Murrelet chooses a high tree in an old-growth forest. They like a branch with lots of debris, like needles and bark, that has settled on a high tree branch.

The birds are protected; however, the new rules have been interpreted by this administration to mean you can't catch, kill, or harm them. However, you can reduce their habit in this case by logging. That sucks, but it's no use crying over spilled milk. I suppose the best way to help them is to share their stories.

So here they are.

And here are the Redwood trees growing just outside the Fort Ross State Historic Park in California.