Tweeters,

The final Protection Island birding cruise of the spring (Saturday, April
25th) also included a trip up to Smith Island, which sighted two mature
bald Eagles sitting on the solar cell upon the top of the black & white
lighthouse. On our way around Point Wilson towards Protection Island we
skirted a large raft of Rhino auklets apparently feeding in the tide rip.
The trip's highlight (mine anyway) was spotting the double crested
cormorants sitting upon their constructed nests on the ridge line on the
south face of Protection island. The week before there were none nesting,
yet on Saturday every nest-cone had a cormorant sitting atop it.
Additionally, a California Sea Lion was resting on the Point Hudson Buoy on
our return from Smith Island at 4:20 pm. We did have an unconfirmed report
of a single Tufted Puffin just Northeast of Protection Island and we're
passing it on for what its worth.

Sightings 4/25/98
Code: P- Protection Island S - Smith Island

Common Loon - P S
Red Necked Grebe - Point Wilson
Horned Grebe - P
Double Crested cormorant - P S
Pelagic Cormorant - P S
Black Brandt - Pt. Hudson, S
White winged Scoter - P S
Surf Scoter - P S
Harlequin duck - P
Oldsquaw - P
Bufflehead - S
Red Breasted Merganser - P
Bonaparte Gull - Pt Wilson, Pt. Hudson
Glaucus Winged Gull - Everywhere
Common Murre - everywhere (although a great view of three in seperate
plumage coloration swimming together at Smith I.)
Pigeon Guillemont - P S
Rhinoceros Auklet - everywhere
Bald Eagle - P S
Rock Dove - Pt. Hudson
Northwestern Crow - P
Starling - P

Mammals:
Sea Lion - Point Hudson
Harbor Seal - P S
River Otter - Point hudson
Harbor Porpoise - south of Smith Island/Partridge Bank

The next series of Protection Island cruises begins Saturday, July 4th and
will be sunset cruises departing at 6:30 pm on Saturdays through September
5th. Audubon members & Wash. Ornithological Society members will continue
to receive a discount.
Who knows, maybe we'll spot the Flying Bird - Kalakala this summer
Best regards
Peter B.
PTMSC