About 3 PM, Sunday, with light intermittent rain, I noted that the brushy
partially tree-covered, slowly eroding bluff directly above the north edge
of the public beach at Des Moines Beach Park was alive with birds.
Literally HUNDREDS! of COMMON BUSHTITS, dozens of HOUSE FINCHES, a
scattering of BLACK-CAPPED chickadees, one each of an immature YELLOW
WARBLER and a WARBLING VIREO were busily feeding together in the
vegetation. BARN SWALLOWS were everywhere; seemed to be many more
today than our local population, must be new migrants.

An immature male BELTED KINGFISHER was observed flying in from the north
and successfully fishing in the shallows of the incoming tide. Even
better, a PAIR of adult Belted kingfishers were perched on the power lines
at the curve where South 223rd becomes Cliff Drive down to the north
parking area of the Marina. And 17 BAND-TAILED pigeons were flying across
the Beach Park. Hopefully, populations of both these species are
re-establishing in our area. There were no peeps on the shore this
afternoon and the only sea birds spotted were two intermediate-plumed
PIGEON guillemots about halfway south along the outside of the rock jetty.

Sensing autumn,

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

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-