On Saturday, Mar 22, participated in George Gerdt's Pandion Nature Tours
Boat Birding Trip circumnavigating the entire island of Bainbridge. This
is an annually offered event, and the 40+ of us were well rewarded.
Blakely Rock didn't have any shorebirds, but the exposed bedrock at
Restoration Point did---four species!---an excellent study among the
Sanderling, Dunlin, Black turnstone, and Surfbirds with leisurely, close
views of these small, rocky-shore birds.

What can I say? The western side of the island was incredibly productive;
in the five years I have gone on this trip, there have never been so many
birds.....thousands of "singing" Western grebes, hundreds of Pacific
loons and dozens of Common loons, many in near-high breeding plumage.
Though we saw hundreds of all three species of cormorants, the Brandt's
was by far more numerous than either the Double-crested or the Pelagic in
Port Orchard/Agate Passage. A few Brandt's cormorants had blue gular
patches and silky white plumes, and many individuals of the other two
species were in full alternate plumage. Studying the contrast of these
three species as they lined up on pilings and piers was the usual
wonderful spectacle.

There were dozens of eye-poppingly patterned Oldsquaw (I don't mind this
name, and the comfortably matriarchal society of my Cherokee ancestors
would probably be amused at the current semantic controversy) and
Harlequin ducks in close views. Many Red-necked grebes were getting
very bright, most of the Horned grebes were in early transition and among
the 3-5 Eared grebes, one was in complete nuptial dress. Other birds of
interest included a single Spotted sandpiper, two Greater yellowlegs (the
usual winterees in Eagle Harbor), huge numbers of all three scoters-love
the "chatting' of the White-winged scoter, up to 300 Brant geese, about a
dozen Common murres, a few dozen Pigeon guillemots in all possible
flavors, a few Rhinocerous auklets-most all ready to court, small to large
numbers of Greater scaup, both species of Goldeneye, and Bufflehead
everywhere! Bald eagles, maybe as many as seven, were out and about as
usual. A few swallows, either/and/or Tree or Violet-green, were spotted
over the shore.

Harbor seals, CA sea-lion and possibly Steller's sea-lion, two River
otters, and a few deer were among the mammals noted.

The slide damage on all steep bluffs completely around the perimeter of
Bainbridge is astonishing! Everybody wants a view and to be on the
beach, and doesn't understand basic hydrology! And down it all comes!

It was quite a lovely 4.5 hr trip with fairly calm seas, hazy sun
sometimes, and not much wind and somewhat warm 50ish, and NO RAIN.
*******************************************************************

March 23, Des Moines, Marina and surrounds:

Pretty nice afternoon-saw all three species of cormorants and scoters off
the end of the fishing pier and about a dozen Brant geese on the private
beach area just north of Des Moines Beach Park. Most all our wintering
species are still here, though in gradually dwindling numbers. No swallows
were found here today.

I can just see over the jetty at the south end of the Marina (at Anthony's
Restaurant) to the bay beyond and to the waters just off the beach at
Saltwater Park. There are still large rafts of ducks and scoters out
there, many more than I'm seeing close to the Marina. One other sighting
today was a Harbor seal struggling with a very large, perhaps 2/3rds of a
meter long, fish..........looked like a salmon, what a meal!

Out now to try to see Comet and the Lunar eclipse (about 7:30PM Sunday),

Cheers,
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA, USA