The hundreds of dead sea birds that were found washed up in Tlell last month are among thousands of carcasses to be discovered on beaches as far away as California.Tlell resident Cacilia Honisch told the Observer she found the bodies of around 250 dead Cassin’s Auklets between Wiggins Rd. and Misty Meadows Campground on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.This week CBC reported that more than 100,000 of the dead birds have been found between British Columbia and California since October.The birds that washed up on Haida Gwaii were found after a strong southeast storm that hit the islands on Dec. 18, with winds in excess of 100 km per hour.”Experts say young auklets often die during winter storms, but this year up to 100 times the normal number are washing ashore in some places along the coast,” CBC reported.Canadian scientists are trying to determine the cause of the mass die-off. Three of the birds found on-islands have been sent to the Canadian Wildlife Service for tissue sampling. The investigation continues.
