Tweeters,
Sightings on the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Protection Island
cruises continue to remain strong and occasionally surprising. Loon, Brant
and Harlequin Duck are frequent and last Saturday's (11/30/02) trip gave us
a male Northern Harrier hunting on Protection Island and a rather large
raven, silhouetted against the sky, perching on the Refuge sign.

Key:
P - Protection Island
R - Rat Island/Kilisut Harbor
A - all sites
PtH - Point Hudson Marina

Common Loon - all
Red Throated loon - P
Western Grebes - Port Townsend Bay
Red Necked Grebes - P
Horned Grebes - P
Cormorant - all three - all sites
Great Blue Heron - all
Black Brant - Middlepoint & R
White winged scoter - all
Surf Scoter - all
Harlequin duck - R, P
Clangula Hyemalis - P
Common Goldeneye - P
Bufflehead - all
Red Breasted Merganser - all
Sanderling - R, P
Western sandpiper - possible R
Mew Gull - P
Glaucus Winged Gull - all
Common murre - all
Pigeon guillemot - all
Bald Eagle - R
Northern Harrier - P (male)
Rock Dove - PtH
Raven - P
Starling - PtH

Mammals:
Harbor Seals - R, P (50-75 approx)
Deer - P

The final Protection Island cruise is the traditional New Year's Eve trip
which, while of somewhat brighter spirits than most of these trips, is
still very much about birding and has resulted in great sightings.
Reservations can be made by emailing cruises at ptmsc.org
The trip departs Point Hudson Marina at 1 PM and returns at 4 PM.
Revenue, as always, goes to support the Port Townsend Marine Science
Center's education programs.

Regards,
Peter Badame
Port Townsend Marine Science Center
532 Battery Way
Fort Worden State Park
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360-385-5582 ext:105
360-385-7248 fax
www.ptmsc.org