Point Robinson

Point Robinson, located at the end of Point Robinson Road on Maury Island, is good for both land and water birds. At Point Robinson, park first in the parking area at the top of the hill. The brambles, orchard and surrounding woods are very good for land birds. Then take the trail through the woods down to the beach or the road down to the lighthouse parking area. Just about the whole Vashon-Maury Island list and more might be expected to turn up at Pt. Robinson at some time or another. At any time of year, some vagrant wanderer might show up. Spring migration seems to be the best bet but unusual birds have shown up in all seasons. The reason for all the rarities is two-fold: First, Point Robinson sticks out from the island out into the sound and acts like a migrant trap like Discovery Park in Seattle, and second, there is a good mix of habitats attracting a wide variety of resident birds. The park holds twelve acres with about a half-mile of gravel and sandy shoreline, clay bluffs, some grassy areas, two areas of thickets and Red Alder forest. From September through mid-May is the period of greatest species diversity, especially during spring and fall migrations. That period is also when many loon, grebe, waterfowl, shorebird, gull and tern species stop to forage or stream on by. Rarities along the shore and out into the water include Short-tailed Shearwaters seen during an invasion of the Puget Sound area in 1977, Heermann's Gulls after this fall's storms, Black Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Red Phalerope and Sabine's Gull. Joe Van Oss spotted a Brown Pelican flyby this last August. Common Loon, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, both goldeneye, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Bufflehead, Bonaparte's Gulls, Mew Gulls, Common Murre and Rhinocerous Auklet are all to be expected in winter. From Birds of Vashon Island by Ed Swan, Vashon birding guide 206-463-7976