Dennis Paulson wrote:
>
> >Hi Tweets,
> >Yesterday afternoon and evening Susan McDougall and I were out canoeing in
> >the Snohomish River estuary getting GPS readings on the location of this
> >year's osprey nests. (Susan had kindly offered the use of her GPS
> >receiver.) As we approached the long row of pilings that hold
> >hundreds of Double-crested Cormorant nests, we were surprized to see
> >that there were many nests that contained birds that had not yet fledged.
> >Indeed, one nest had chicks that were only a week or week and
> >a half old. Anyone know if these little fellas are going to make it this
> >year or is having broods this late normal for DC Cormorants?
> >Also counted 18 osprey nests and saw a Peregrine Falcon. It was a great
> >day to be out on the water.
> >
> >Ed Schulz
>
> I've heard of similarly late nesting in Brandt's Cormorant this year, and I
> saw 3/4-grown Pelagics once in the San Juans in October. This must be a
> regular thing for cormorants, and there's no reason to believe they won't
> fledge, as the adults are able to capture prey independent of most of our
> weather variation. Why did they start so late? I don't know.
>
> Brandt's have just been found nesting on Williamson Rock by Keith and Jan
> Wiggers, the first nesting record from protected waters of the state and a
> sign this species might be recolonizing WA as a breeder. It had been
> restricted to a single colony at Cape Disappointment for years.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416----------------------------

There has been , at least for the last 2 years I have
been visiting this spot, a large colony of nesting Brandts Cormorants on
the cliffs beneath the Lewis and Clark Center at the north jetty of the
Columbia Riverjust south if Ilwaco, Wash. at the beginning of Long Beach
peninsula. The location is at the ocean about 2 miles south of Northhead
Lighthouse.
Just how long this group of Comorants have been
established there is a question I can't answer.
A pair of Red-throated Loons, along with Surf Scoters,
Pigeon Guillemots, and many, many Brown Pelicans were amond the birds
sighted on a trip in late July at this great birding spot.
Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net