<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">It appears that the colony has been around for some years. Here’s link to a photo which appears to be from 2014. No mention of colony size though. I’m interested in visiting it, so started a little research. Doesn’t look like it’s easy to get to. Kayak might be the best bet.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://images.livingwilderness.com/image/I0000rSzNRrRcHxA" class="">https://images.livingwilderness.com/image/I0000rSzNRrRcHxA</a><br class=""><div><br class=""></div><div>Tom Benedict</div><div>Seahurst, WA<br class=""><font color="#00afcd" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 175, 205);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b class="">From: </b></span><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve Hampton <<a href="mailto:stevechampton@gmail.com" class="">stevechampton@gmail.com</a>></span><br class=""><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b class="">[Tweeters] large Caspian Tern colony near Pt Townsend</b></span><br class=""><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b class="">Date: </b></span><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 30, 2022 at 15:21:03 Pacific Time</span><br class=""><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b class="">To: </b></span><span class="" style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;">TWEETERS tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>></span><br class=""><font color="#00afcd" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 175, 205);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99); font-size: large;" class="">Today I counted 510 Caspian Terns and estimated probably 1000 attending a colony on Rat Island off the northern tip of Indian Island. This island is also called the Marrowstone Wildlife Mgmt Area on some maps. I was viewing from the tip of the spit at Ft Flagler campground on Marrowstone Island at a minus tide.</span><br class=""><font color="#073763" size="4" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99); font-size: large;" class="">The colony was very active, with many birds making obvious provisioning flights, carrying fish and landing in the thick of the colony, which is largely hidden behind tall grasses along the top of the island. </span><br class=""><font color="#073763" size="4" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99); font-size: large;" class="">Presumably these are terns relocated from the Columbia River and elsewhere. </span><br class=""><font color="#073763" size="4" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99); font-size: large;" class="">Pics, including one of a prey fish, are here: </span><a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S114112413" class="">https://ebird.org/checklist/S114112413</a><br class=""><font color="#073763" size="4" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99); font-size: large;" class="">good birding, </span><br class=""><font color="#00afcd" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 175, 205);" class=""><br class=""></span></font>-- <br class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""></blockquote><blockquote type="cite" class=""></blockquote><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><font size="4" color="#073763" class=""><span class=""></span>Steve Hampton<span class=""></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br class=""></div></body></html>