Subject: [Tweeters] Marrowstone Island
Date: May 18 18:45:06 2016
From: Dennis Moore - dennisdmoore at comcast.net


The weekend fore last was spent at Marrowstone Island. Beautiful
place. Paddling, biking and camping was the goal but there's always
birds. Strong winds and extreme tides on Friday and Saturday night
limited my range.

Jeff Gibson has contributed some excellent ramblings that speak to the
variety of the ecology and inhabitants. I won't wander much.

Fort Flagler. A large and varied park with both upland pasture,
bluffed, sandy and rocky shoreline. Both exposed and sheltered. Great
overlooks for those with a cannon. Lots of migratories if your timing
is right. I have paddled with 100's of Oldsquaw and mergansers.

A four swallow day. Tree, bank, rough and VG. There is a collection of
RW nests in the eaves of one of the old cabins. Harlequin ducks always
at the gravel spit on the NW corner. Lots of Pigeon Gill, Rhino Auks
and Common Loon. Scores of RB Mergansers. Plenty of shorebirds along
the eastern beaches. I need to get better at peeps. DC and Pelagic
cormorants in reduced numbers but they are off making babies.

Notably, in my trips these last few weeks I have noticed a dramatic
increase in Caspian terns. Both at Jetty Island and Marrowstone the are
many times the numbers of birds I have seen before. I wonder if the
Corps hazing project at the Columbia River has simply moved this problem
north.

The PT/Marrowstone trip is worth it. Spend some time at Ft Worden, Oak
Bay, Mystery Bay, East Beach and Ft Flagler.

Explore. Enjoy.

Dennis Moore