Salutations,

After spending $20.00 and four hours cruising the south side of
Protection Island to no avail on Sunday, October 19th with 16 others of the
hard-core, I drove to Diamond Point on my way home to Bainbridge. Although I
did not see the bird on Sunday, I passed the word on to Vic Nelson that if
the conditions and lighting were right, the visibility from Diamond Point to
Protection Island would afford a decent view of the bird. On Sunday, I was
able to count 15 Brown Pelicans standing on Violet Spit, and I could make out
both Pelagic and DC Cormorants on "Booby Rock". Also, the "booby prize" on
Sunday was a Juv. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in the pond just east of the Three
Crabs Restaurant.

Vic arrived at Diamond Point at 8:30 on Tuesday Oct. 21 (today) and
found the bird (along with an assortment of gulls and Brown Pelicans) flying,
and diving on a Herring ball . He watched the bird for about two hours and
called me about noon. d I was able to leave school at 3:30 arriving at
Diamond Point by 4:30. The bird was sitting on "Booby Rock", preening and
chasing any cormorants who had the audacity to land on her rock. I say "her"
because even from 1 1/2 miles away, I could see the relatively bright-yellow
bill. The head had no white-wash on it, and the belly looked cleanly white.
It would be nice to get a closer look and some photos, but the view from
Diamond Point is convenient and acceptable.
Diamond Point can be reached by driving north about 5 miles on Diamond
Point Road off Highway 101, two miles west of Gardiner (clearly marked with a
sign that points to the air field) just as you enter Clallam County (see DeLo
rme page 94). Diamond Point is about 55 miles from the Ferry Terminal on
Bainbridge Island. As you enter the village of Diamond Point you come down
a hill and face a pond (worth checking) bear left and then turn left on a
road that says "Dead End". About 1/4 mile along this road there is a parking
lot for a private beach-club. This parking lot is about 20 feet above sea
level and has an unobstructed view of the south side of Protection Island.
"Booby Rock" is the only large rock on the south side of the island. It is
about half way between the start of Kanem Point (west end) and Violet Spit on
the east end. If you have trouble finding the rock, locate the water tower
and move left (west) about two scope fields. There is a large stump in the
water. The rock is just to the left (west) of the stump. I was using a
non-fluorite Kowa scope zoomed up to 40 - 60 X. The conditions were
excellent for viewing with the sun behind me, no "heat-wave" distortion,
mirror-calm seas, no wind, and no fog.
Good luck. Call me if you need more details. 206-842-8138


George Gerdts
Bainbridge Island

Geopandion at aol.com