My interest was piqued by Jeff's report, so I headed out to survey the renowned Prairie. Not knowing where to find the Prairie (I had forgotten Jeff's past directions), I parked my truck on Blaine between the golf course and the Lagoon. After circumnavigating the entire golf course (a nice walk plus finding a long forgotten golf ball) I finally spied the evergreen field just inside the Golf Course Entrance. Just as I was nimbly pacing the grassland for the subject flowers, up sprang two foraging California Quail. They kept close by while looking back at the tall invader. Nearby, as if to complete the scene, was a young doe nibbling on some shrubbery.

A nice way to complete a gorgeous spring day! And, yes, all of said flowers were a sight to enjoy. Thanks Jeff.

Bruce Youngberg
Poulsbo, WA

From: Jeff Gibson
Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2017 2:32 PM
To: tweeters; Margieanngibson at mac.com
Subject: [Tweeters] Port Townsend: Nesters and Flowers.

Well it's the zippy part of spring and, as usual around this time of year, I'm having trouble keeping up with all of natures changes. Still, snooping around a bit is always?rewarding, and really no one could personally keep track of it all anyhoo.

Yesterday seemed to be nesting day around my job site at Cape George with it's wonderful view of Protection Island. First nest builder was a Chestnut-backed Chickadee gathering dried grass from the weedy lawn near my feet and hauling it to a nearby pine tree. A few minutes later two Crows, one after the other, were hauling beak-fulls of coarse twigs in the direction of a distant stand of firs. And finally, a few minutes after the Crows flapped by, a Bald Eagle went over trailing a big talon-load of dry grass about 3 feet long and flew into the same belt of firs the Crows were headed to. Seeing it without binoculars it?appeared ?at first glance, to be a new species of bird - like the Big Bald Magpie, or Long-tailed Eagle. Kind of a neat sight.

One question I have is about the Eurasian- collared Doves around the 'hood here. They were abundant most of the year here last year, but seemed to totally clear out of the place for the winter. I snooped around a bit on the internut but didn't find any mention of any seasonal movements in their newly acquired range. Hmmm....

This morning I snooped out the small, yet fabulous, Kah Tai Prairie, one of the worlds smallest prairies, right here in the middle of Port Townsend at the Golf Course to check out the native flowers. If you wanna see a Satin Flower (Olsynium), a real beauty, better go real soon 'cause they're just about done. The first Camas are blooming today in the half of the prairie ?south of the entry road, and some budding up on the upper section - soon to paint the whole little prairie blue - probably visible from outer space or whatever,if google earth did an update some time in the next few weeks.

Other neato flowers blooming now are the first dainty white flowers of Lithophragma, and the pink nodding flowers of the interesting Geum triflorum. Lots of Spring Gold (Lomatium) still about - it was the earliest flower here this year, but it's a long- bloomer and will continue thru Camas season at least. Many other flower species on the way.

Jeff Gibson
reporting from
Port Townsend Wa ?