Tweeters,

The most notable event of the Protection Island birding cruise of April
27th was the sighting of the Double Crested Cormorants roosting on the
incredible nests which they've built on the top of the bluff on the south
side of the island. Empty and ignored (except by the odd Glaucous winged
gull) during the rest of the year, these cormorants begin roosting in late
April. They start nest maintenance with fresh guano, sticks & waddle in
mid-April and then stay at the nests through fledgling.

Bald Eagle sightings of the trip included a congregation of eight juvenile
and one adult on the tip of the eastern spit of the island, apparently
waiting to scavenge afterbirths of seal pupping which is occurring in
earnest.

While we were hoping to sight some Red Necked Phalaropes on the leg of the
trip to Kilisut Harbor we came up empty. We did, however, id a Pacific Loon
on the waters north of Protection Island and Marbled Murrelets in Port
Townsend Bay.

Although this was our final trip of the spring season the PTMSC is offering
one 6-hour sailing adventure to the Protection Island National Wildlife
Refuge aboard the 101' historic schooner, Adventuress this summer. We have
always sighted Tufted Puffins on this sail as they nest on the cavities on
the south face of the island and continuously venture out on the water for
food. The 2002 trip is scheduled for Saturday, June 29th, departing at 10
am from Union Wharf in downtown Port Townsend and returning at 4 PM.
Naturalists from the Marine Science Center, familiar with the island, the
local bird population and marine mammals are on-board interpreters and
provide excellent commentary on local birds, mammals, geology and weather.
Tickets are $75 per person or $70 for members of the Marine Science Center,
Audubon or the Washington Ornithological Society.

To reserve a spot or obtain more information call the Port Townsend Marine
Science Center at 800-566-3932 or email: cruises at ptmsc.org

Sightings of Saturday, April, 2002:
(Key: P-Protection Island, R-Rat Island/Kilisut Harbor, PtB-Port Townsend
Bay, PtH- Point Hudson
Common loon - P, R
Pacific Loon - P
Red necked grebe - R
Horned grebe - P, R
Double crested cormorant - P
Pelagic cormorant - all
Canada Goose - P, R
Black brant - P, R
Black Scoter - P
White winged scoter - all
Surf scoter - all
Harlequin duck - P,R
Longtailed duck - P, R
Bufflehead - R
Red breasted merganser - R
Black Oystercatcher - P, R
Dunlin - R
Sanderling - R
Western sandpiper - R
Bonaparte gull - R
Glaucous winged gull - all
Pigeon guillemot - all
Marbled murrelet - PtB
Rhinoceros auklet -PtB
Bald eagle - P, R
Northwestern Crow - P, R
Song sparrow - R

Mammals:
Harbor seals - P, R


Peter Badame
Port Townsend Marine Science Center
360-385-5582
360-385-7248 fax
www.ptmsc.org