Subject: Saltwater Park, Des Moines Marina, Washington Birding
Date: Jun 15 13:41:08 1995
From: Maureen Ellis - me2 at u.washington.edu



Hello all,

Moved to the Des Moines marina area in December from the Carkeek Park
area in the NW Seattle. Finally got to Saltwater Park this past Sunday
(June 11). Taking the semi-loop trail around the wooded ridge edges of
the park, I was delighted to find the Pacific Slope Flycatcher is common
here. There were several singers of the "su-wheet" song, so easy to
become familiar with the features of the song from several different
birds. With these small flycatchers, I need all the help I can get.

I also noticed that the snags and many living trees have a variety of
woodpecker carvings, including the distinctive rectangle shape left by
the Pileated Woodpecker. Can anyone tell us the status of them in that
area? Seems I recall a post in the last few months concerning Saltwater
Park.

Also, I am very lucky enough to live within a stroll of the marina. That
is a wonderful place to study all sorts of creatures. Of course, there
are many more sea bird species present in the winter, but the summer
residents, expecially the kingfishers and Great Blue Herons offer lotsa
chances to watch interesting behaviors, feeding and hunting. We have 3
or more herons now in breeding plumage that routinely hunt the shoreline
and hang around the jetty and boats. During a recent early evening
stroll,I watched a heron hunting in a few inches of water at approx.
mid-tide very near the fishing pier.

Within a half hour,the heron caught and dined on two very
distinctly green eel-like or perhaps nudibranch-like critters. What might
the heron have been eating? Thank you for any information.

Maureen Ellis
Dept Environmental Health
Toxicology Group at Roos 1
Univ of WA
Seattle, WA 98195
me2 at u.washington.edu
mellis at dehpost.sphcm.washington.edu