Tweeters,

On Monday, Sept. 27th the Port townsend Marine Science Center
operated a Protection Island birding cruise for the WSU Island County
Beachwatchers and observed the following:
Key: P-Protection Island, PH-Point Hudson, R-Rat Island/Kilisut Harbor

Common Loon - P
Red Throated Loon - P.T. Bay
Red Necked Grebe - P,R
Double Crested Cormorant - P
Pelagic Cormorant-P
Great Blue Heron - P
White Winged Scoter - P
Surf Scoter -P
Harlequin Duck - P,R
Western sandpiper - R
Heerman's gull - P
Bonaparte Gull - PH
Mew Gull - P
Glaucus Winged Gull - P,R
Common Tern - PH
Common Murre - PH
Pigeon Guillemot - all sites
Rhinocerous auklet - PH
Bald Eagle - P (only mature specimins)
Northern Harrier - one pair on Protection Island with the female having a
blue band on her right wing
Rock Dove - PH
Northwestern Crow - P,R
Raven - P
Starling - P
additionally, we sighted approximately 300 -400 Harbor Seals on both spits
of Protection Island and the ever present river otters in Point Hudson
Marina

Regularly scheduled Protection Island birding cruises for the public begin
on Saturday, Oct 9th and continue on the following saturdays, from 1PM till
4PM:
Oct. 16th
Oct. 23rd
Oct. 30th
Nov. 6th
Nov. 27th (Thanksgiving Weekend)
and New Year's Eve, Friday, Dec. 31st

Contact the PTMSC at 360-385-5582 or ptmsc at olympus.net
for reservations or information. Tickets are $40 per person with discounts
for Audubon or WOS members.

Regards,
Peter B.
PTMSC