Hi Tweeters,

Friday a Deer Harbor friend reported flushing a Golden Eagle eating a
freshly killed fawn on the newly acquired San Juan Preservation Trust
Turtle Back Preserve.?The eagle landed on some rocks 20 feet from where
he was standing so he got a great view. Bright and early Saturday
morning we hiked up to the area where the eagle was reported and
observed two Golden Eagles soaring over the open areas to the west of
the trail.?There have been other reports of Golden Eagles from this
site.

Turtle Back Preserve is part of a nearly 1600-acre conservation area
and can be accessed from either a north or south parking area.?Both
trails lead to a loop trail at the top of the preserve where we saw the
eagles.?The trails go through stands of conifers and alders with many
Gerry Oaks. Along the trail the forest opens up with meadows and rocky
outcrops covered by selaginella and other mosses with views toward the
south, west and north of the San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island and the
Gulf Islands.?It is a spectacular walk and wonderful coup for the SJPT
to be able raise the $18.5 Million to purchase this property.?It is
truly a treasure.?More information can be found at:
http://www.sjpt.org/turtleback.php

Other than the eagles, here is a list of birds that we observed or
heard on the trail, from the overlooks in the TBP and in the Deer
Harbor area.

Pied-billed Grebe
Double Crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Bald Eagle
Glaucous-winged Gulls
Pigeon Guillemot (Nesting in the cliffs on the west side of Deer Harbor)
Rock Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Rufous Humming Birds
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Stellar?s Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallows
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
American Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red Crossbill
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Gold Finch
?
Don and Sandi McVay
dmcvay at cmc.net
Seattle (Queen Anne)

?