Sunday, May 30

Protection Island and Smith Island are teeming with birds. We saw between 40-50 Bald Eagles, many hundreds of Pigeon Guillemots (the most numerous), Rhinocerous Auklets, and the highlight was 2 pair of Tufted Puffins at Smith Island and 6 pair at Protection Island. The eagles were sitting on the beach and on the cliffs waiting for baby chicks.

Other sightings:
6-Belted Kingfisher
4- Great Blue Herons
2 Common Murre
Many Common Merganzers
5 Black Oyster Catchers
Many Double Crested Cormorants with young
Many Palegic Cormorants
5-Harlequin Duck
6 Pacific Loon in summer plumage- beautiful birds
Many Glaucous-winged Gulls and Herring Gulls
1 Peregrine Falcon

Near La Conner:
Cliff Swallows nesting
1 Rufous Hummingbird
1 American Goldfinch
5 House Finches
Rock Doves
House Sparrows
American Crows

We also saw many Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals and 1 huge Elephant Seal sunning himself on the beach.

I expected to see more Common Murre but I understand their numbers have greatly diminished in recent years, as have the Tufted Puffin populations. According to the NFA there are only 16 nesting pair in Washington in this area and we saw half of them.

The Tufted Puffin is a life bird for me. They are truely thrilling to see. I highly recommend the Viking Cruise out of La Conner.
Nancy
Renton, WA.

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