>At 10:23 AM 10/14/96 -0800, Peter Badame wrote:

>>The Protection Island birding cruise of 10/12/96 began withsome gusty winds
. . .
>> We did include a side trip to Rat Island also. This site, across the Bay
>>from Pt. Townsend, is a breeched spit extending from Marrowstone Island
>>towards Indian Island. Being semi-protected, it offers a good opportunity
>>to observe shorebirds from up close as we enter Kilisut Harbor.

This is not an advertisement but a heads up on one of my favorite birding
locations. I am a kayaker who does twice as much kayaking in the winter as
summer simply because the birding is so good during the winter here.

Port Townsend Bay and Kilisut Harbor are wonderful birding locations,
particularly in December and January. Large numbers of wintering "diving
birds" are often seen. Large groups of Long Tailed Ducks (old squaw),
Pacific Loons, Marbled murrelets, grebes, Harlequins and cormorants are
common. Individuals and small groups of other species (ancient murrelets,
shorebirds, phaleropes) are also common. It is a wonderful spectacle on a
clear cold winter day and highly recommended. Keep in mind diving birds are
very mobile and do come and go. The murrelets and pacific loons fluctuate
wildly in numbers from day to day, and week to week.


Michael Kennedy <mikken at daka.com>
Port Townsend, WA, USA