Hi tweets,
A couple of things, 1. Great Blue Herons at the locks and a few other
birds2. Gull eating a Big Skate
The Kiwanis Great Blue Herons are very busy building nests in the heronry,
and for the first time they seem to be building two nests in a Cyprus
tree on the Ballard side. They picked a spot that's going to be very
popular come summer, heck, it already is but the nests seem to be well
hidden. Last year they built 36 nests and raised 93 fledglings if I
remember my numbers. The Goldeneye flock is growing steadily, 64 Barrow's
in one group today, about 12 Common on the freshwater side. About 6
lesser(?) Scaup, a rare bird for the locks. Still flocks of up to 100 DC
Cormorants, usually to the east.
2. I saw a GW Gull trying to eat a very small (3") Big Skate, Raja
binoculata near the fish ladder. I've never seen a skate before in Puget
Sound. Do any of you fish guys know if they're at all common?


Thanks,

Cliff Drake

cliff at cliffdrake.net
Seattle WA