Sunday and Saturday Observations:
Awesome wind on Sunday with enormous (for this part of the Sound) swells
and waves on the water. If had not been low tide, the entire Marina
Parking Lot would have been swamped. The fishing pier was closed on
Sunday starting mid-afternoon. Many gulls, ducks, coots, and crows
hunkered down on the beaches. Only the mature Bald eagle seemed unfazed
by the gale; it cruised the shoreline, staring down, probably looking for
Easter high tea. A dead, partially consumed female Belted Kingfisher blew
into our condo complex parking area. There are (or were) two females
routinely seen among the Marina slips. On Saturday a crow and kingfisher
were observed having a spirited fight.........a connection? Maybe. Other
birds were seen having cross-species squabbles including a Coot and
Mallard drake that were really bashing each other in the water (too many
negative atmospheric ions ahead of the storm?)

Seen on Saturday: A lone, adult CA gull was on the cobble beach at Des
Moines Beach Park. What appeared to be a Herring gull couple was
courting---I'm still learning to sort out the large, pink-legged,
black-wing-tipped gulls. And, a small flock of Mew gulls were moving about
as a group-maybe on the way to breeding grounds? The most common
year-round gull at the Marina is the Glaucous-winged and various
Glaucous-winged hybrids followed by small numbers of Western gulls (or
"near"-Western gulls). The other species of gulls seem to be transient,
uncommon-in-winter, or summer-only residents, so their presence is
immediately noticed. Our resident pair of Great Blue herons are now in
elegant high breeding, i.e., 'alternate', plumage, common birds, but so
exquisite!

A lone Harlequin drake zipped by the Pier-flew into the lagoon south
of the Des Moines Yacht Club (Harlequin ducks may be more common in this
area, perhaps off Saltwater St Pk, but this is the first I've seen at the
Marina in 3 seasons of watching). All three species of cormorants
persist; only four Double-crested remain; one of the two Pelagics is
developing white flank patches, and one of the two (or possibly three)
Brandt's is showing a blue chin patch. Scoter and grebe flocks continue
to dwindle, though all three seasonal species (Black, Surf, White-winged
and Horned, Western, Red-necked) are still here. A fourth species of
grebe, the Pied-billed, may be a year-round resident/breeder in the Marina
area. No swallows yet! (A few Tree seen passing through) And nothing of
note about any other small Passerine to report.

Will keep watching and let you know,

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