After checking almost every day for the last 3 weeks and finding no ospreys
yet this season, today, crossing the West Seattle Bridge this afternoon I
finally saw 3 or 4 Ospreys there at one time near the nest visible just to
the south of the bridge.

For those of you who don't know this birding spot, there are 3 Osprey nests
within sight of the West Seattle Bridge. One nest is on the second light
post from the west in front of the Ash Grove Cement plant on the south side
of the bridge, west of hwy 99. The second is on the extra tall cell tower
SW of the Tulley's plant, SE of the new light rail yard and north of the
bridge and West of I-5. The third nest is harder to see from the West
Seattle Bridge and is a half a mile to the south of the bridge on the west
bank of the Duwamish River on a shorter post or tower and north of
"Herring's House Park" from which the nest is visible. I haven't checked
this nest lately and don't know if it is still active.

This area is also good for other birds and butterflies:
As some of you know, Kevin Li established a Purple Martin colony on pilings
over the Duwamish River between Herring's House Park (terminal 107 on old
maps and east of Kellogg Island), so if you go there to see the osprey nest
you get to check for the martins that have apparently been returning to our
area. This park is also better than average for early spring tortoiseshell
buterflies and their Nymphalinid relatives. Also in this area is a Bald
Eagle nest in a large cottonwood on the hill behind the Seattle Parks'
Department's "Westbridge Building" which is just to the north of Herring's
House Park. The river itself is decent for waterfowl. I don't know if the
Peregrines are using the nest site under the West Seattle Bridge anymore,
but I did see a peregrine on the high voltage tower perch to the north of
the bridge once a couple of weeks ago. An additional Bald Eagle nest is a
mile north of the bridge in a large cottonwood across from Salty's
restaurant and more martin houses (mostly gourds) and waterfowl are at Jack
Block park to the south of Salty's on Elliot Bay. In any case this area is
great for duck hawks, fish hawks and American fish eagles.

-Stewart

Stewart Wechsler
Ecological Consulting
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net

-Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
of plants and animals
-Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
-Botanical Surveys

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