Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park bird survey finds 150 species

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Want to see a ruddy duck? Check out Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park, a hot spot for the birds, which are otherwise rarely seen in Pacific Northwest coastal waters during breeding season.

The ruddy duck is just one of 150 species that can be found at the park, according to the results of a two-year Admiralty Audubon Society survey.

In the mid-1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service included Kah Tai in the top 10 most threatened of important wildlife habitats in Washington. Its report mentioned 51 bird species at the lagoon. A one-year bird survey done by Admiralty Audubon chapter founder Eleanor Stopps and chapter president Bernard Beck in the late 1970s found 70 species, about half of which were land-based species.

Admiralty Audubon conducted a series of surveys from 2009 to 2011 and found 98 species, two-thirds of which were land-based. The society found that the percentage of land-associated species is increasing as the park’s upland habitat matures.

The park’s species list is now documented at 150, and a new species was added a couple of weeks ago – the western kingbird.

The chapter has just completed a data- and photo-rich analysis of the survey results. The report offers a brief overview of park history and a guide to what birds can be seen in any given season, while local wildlife photographers provide a visual record of sightings. Visit

admiraltyaudubon.org.