Class trip - Post #3: Jefferson County and home.

Point Wilson Light from the Keystone-Port Townsend Ferry

I had been through Jefferson County twice this year, but was still a little short of the 39 species of birds I was hoping to see.  I added this trip hoping that, being close to 39, I might be able to move it up to 50 species with a few good stops.  Even before I touched land, a Common Murre sliding by the side of the boat was a new one for the county, and I was off to a good start!  The boat docked at Port Townsend, and I was off to Fort Worden and the Point Wilson Light.

Point Wilson might be the most beautiful lighthouse in the sound - maybe the state.  I don't know what it is, and my opinion is skewed by a beautiful black and white picture that Bre took on our first trip there, but I love visiting.  Ignore the whitewash job the gulls did on the keeper's house here - it really is beautiful.

Heermann's Gulls - Point Wilson

Bird-wise, the walk around the lighthouse wasn't much.  It was getting close to 5, and the birds were getting quiet.  Savannah Sparrows were still lingering around here, though, and a nice sized flock of Heermann's Gulls were resting near the Marine Discovery Center.



Point Wilson Light from the Marine Discovery Center





From the light - pretty empty, but pretty

Stopping at a little lagoon in Port Townsend, I found a few dabbling ducks, and another sign of fall - a Golden-crowned Sparrow. 



California Gull - Oak Bay County Park
Jefferson County

 My last stop was at Oak Bay County Park - on the way to Fort Flagler, which I had visited early in the year.  I didn't have time for the trip all the way out to the fort this time, but wanted to check the water here.  It was just what I needed - I found California and Ring-billed Gulls, White-crowned Sparrows, Northern Pintails and an Osprey.   This put me to 51 species for the county, and it became 52 as I drove towards the Hood Canal Floating Bridge with Red-tailed Hawks posted up on telephone poles.



Getting late