The Luhr Beach fishing pier near Nisqually is the place to go for martin observation, with nests as close as 6 feet at eye level. The place is bustling with activity, and at least some of the nestlings have fledged. Adults have been seen feeding dragonflies and even swallowtail butterflies to their offspring. Most of the dozen boxes are currently active with martins, and earlier this spring some housed violet-green swallows and starlings. I was able to get some good pictures of some very fluffy fledglings on the railing and on nearby boxes, and adults were cooperative as well. No martins were seen to be banded, and so far this year I've seen no banded martins anywhere; this seems very unusual.

It was a spectacular day, and eventually I was able to tear myself away from Luhr Beach and paddle the Black River from School Landing Rd in Rochester. I think I set my personal record for observations of green herons and kingfishers, with seemingly endless sightings for several hours. We easily paddled upstream(!) from Rochester and went perhaps 4 miles and back; ospreys may have been nesting along the river, but no nest was obvious; a couple of years ago there was an obvious nest in a snag right along the bank. Today we heard or saw several ospreys during much of our paddle. Other river highlights included river otters, a sharpie, yellowthroats, damselflies (Calopteryx & Enallagma, says Kris Baker) a turkey vulture, and the freshwater bryozoan Pectinatella magnifica.

Kevin Li
Ballard, USA
kdli at msn.com