Subject: 06-22-97 Des Moines, WA, Marina and Surrounds
Date: Jun 23 11:56:27 1997
From: Maureen Ellis - me2 at u.washington.edu


A Caspian tern semi-invasion occurred on Sunday with at least 8 terns seen
over the Marina and even the business district. The Des Moines urban
GBHeronry, about a block and a half east of the 'Boston' Pizza place, is
still occupied!!! I could see two adults (birds appeared to be tending
something, eggs or hatchling-could not tell what) on one nest and another
nest had a single standing adult visible. These heron nests are very
difficult to see now because the conifers have so much new growth.

The Marina public launch site has about 16 active Barn swallow nests; this
is many fewer than previous seasons, and there also seems to be a fraction
of the normal population of Violet-green swallows in our area this year.
A female Kingfisher was carrying a fish toward the Normandy Park bluff
just north of the Marina and the beach park; presumably she is nesting
there. The single Canada goose (not a prevalent bird here) family is
nearly fully grown and plumed with all five goslings surviving. The only
other water fowl young seen was a 3-duckling Mallard group (most did not
appear to nest at all this year.) A group of 9 California gulls, and very
few gulls of any other species, were seen at the Beach Park. And, a
solitary alternate-plumed Pigeon guillemot was swimming just off the
fishing pier; this species may be nesting in the bluffs adjacent to
Saltwater Park.

Fairly normal early Summer report for our locale. I'll be away to
Machias, ME for a week of studying nesting warblers and the Bay of Fundy
seabirds. Will have to put Tweeters on 'vacation-mode' for that interval
(June 27-July 7). I hope to have a dazzling story to tell; well, at least
to relay no fewer than 15 lifers, and to put in a well-deserved plug for
the Univ of Maine Institute for Field Ornithology.
Cheers to all,
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA USA