Subject: [Tweeters] Point Wilson Purple Martins
Date: Jun 25 15:56:43 2005
From: Carol Riddell - cariddell at mac.com


Hi Tweets,

Sticking close to the homestead this weekend, I decided to take advantage
of the minus tide to walk down to the Point Wilson pilings to see how many
martins were there. The sky was overcast this morning but cleared up as the
low tide approached. It made the walk from Marina Beach in Edmonds quite
pleasant. The Point Wilson colony consists of three nest boxes on a cluster
of three pilings and two nest boxes and one gourd (thank you, Kevin) on the
single piling. When I arrived about 2 p.m. there was one adult Bald Eagle
perched on the single piling and another in a tide pool just to the south.
The eagle did not seem to disturb the martins. There was one male and four
females about. One female was banded, orange on the left leg and silver on
the right. I'm sure someone has mentioned this before, but if you know
where I should report that, please contact me privately.

There was the usual large numbers of AMERICAN CROW and GLAUCUS-WINGED
GULL. A lone CASPIAN TERN winged its way north along the shore. There were
4-6 GREAT BLUE HERON out. A male BELTED KINGFISHER perched on the pilings
after the eagles left. I then watched it hover over the water, dive, come
up with a small fish and fly off to the woods on the bluff behind the
railroad tracks to eat its snack in peace. I saw one DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT swimming close to shore. Further out were PIGEON GUILLEMOT and a
number of RHINOCEROS AUKLET.

As I walked back out to my car I noted one CEDAR WAXWING on the
once-wooded slope that was butchered by the evil TRIAD DEVELOPMENT CORP.
that is covering the hillside with multimillion dollar condominiums. That
made me think to stop at the Edmonds Marsh where I saw RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
(M&F), 5 KILLDEER, a good number of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, and the very vocal
MARSH WREN continues to defend its cat-tail territory near the first viewing
platform.

Good birding,
Carol Riddell
Edmonds