[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr Nisqually WNR - Wednesday Walk for 8/17/2022

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

approximately 27 of us enjoyed a nice sunny day at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 60's to 80's degrees Fahrenheit with a nice light
breeze from the north.  There was a High 10.6ft Tide at 10:31am, so we
skipped the orchard in the morning and started out on the west entrance of
the Twin Barns Loop Trail to get out onto the Estuary Trail earlier for
shorebirds.  Highlights included a GREEN HERON in the freshwater marsh,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER on the mudflats west of Leschi Slough, several
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN sightings both in the water and flyovers, hundreds
of peeps with reports of BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, and
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and great looks of OSPREY hunting Starry Flounder from
tidal channels and McAllister Creek.

Starting out at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at 8am, there were many
BARN SWALLOW and some still nesting in the breezeway.  Recently fledged
WOOD DUCK continues in the pond.

Scanning the fields south of the Twin Barns, swallow numbers were way down
with predominantly Barn Swallows, but we did observe TREE SWALLOW, VIOLET
GREEN SWALLOW, BANK SWALLOW, CLIFF SWALLOW and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOW.  There was a flock of SAVANNAH SPARROWS in the south field.
Overall we had about 16 VAUX'S SWIFTS fly through.  Two Coyotes were
hunting along the old McAllister Creek Access Road.

The west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail remains wonderful for young and
migrating passerines as there must be plenty of food along the riparian
forest/water edge.  We had great looks of CEDAR WAXWING, YELLOW WARBLER,
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE, SPOTTED TOWHEE, SONG SPARROW, WESTERN TANAGER and BELTED
KINGFISHER.  A few observed BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, WARBLING VIREO and
a OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER.  I think for the day we observed 3-4 SWAINSON'S
THRUSH in comparison to our usual 30 plus.  The woodpeckers were absent as
well.

Out on the Dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail, depending on where you were and
what the birds were up to either foraging or fleeing, we had nice looks at
BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE FALCON, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, GREEN HERON
(freshwater marsh), GREATER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, WESTERN SANDPIPER and
LEAST SANDPIPER.  Some of our group were able to locate LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, BAIRD'S
SANDPIPER, and probable SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.  Most everyone was able to
get on one of the two BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs on the mudflats.  There were
good numbers of RING-BILLED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, and GREAT BLUE HERON.
CASPIAN TERN numbers were lower with only about 6 birds seen.

The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was good for DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and BELTED KINGFISHER.  There were plenty
of small to medium sized flocks of LEAST SANDPIPER and WESTERN SANDPIPER to
pick through.  A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was observed along the McAllister Creek
just south of the Puget Sound Observation Platform.  We scoped PURPLE
MARTIN and BRANDT'S CORMORANT from the gazebo, and a flock of BAND-TAILED
PIGEON flew along the west bank of McAllister Creek.  With the tide
falling, we had fun observing the Bald Eagle, Osprey and Peregrine Falcon
hunting.

The afternoon heated up and the birding slowed down.  We had a nice pair of
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE at the Riparian Forest cut-off, but nothing new to add
from the Orchard (MOURNING DOVE seen in the morning).

We observed 69 species for the day, and have seen 162 species for the
year.  Olive-sided Flycatcher and Pectoral Sandpiper were FOY.  Mammals
seen included Coyote, Townsend's Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel and Harbor
Seal.

Until next week, happy birding.

Shep
-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 17, 2022 7:35 AM - 3:31 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.164 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny skies with temperatures in
the 60’s to 80’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 10.6ft Tide at 10:31am.
Mammals seen Coyote, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, Townsend’s
Chipmunk.
69 species (+4 other taxa)

Canada Goose  3
Wood Duck  8
American Wigeon  10
Mallard  80
Hooded Merganser  3
Common Merganser  3
Band-tailed Pigeon  15
Mourning Dove  1
Vaux's Swift  16
Anna's Hummingbird  1
hummingbird sp.  2
Black-bellied Plover  2     Medium sized shorebird observed on mudflats
with area Ring-billed Gull and California Gull. Black belly, light gray
speckled back.  Plover like foraging behavior on mud flats, run and stop
and pluck. Observed black axillary feathers in flight.
Semipalmated Plover  4
Killdeer  4
Baird's Sandpiper  3
Least Sandpiper  100
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Western Sandpiper  600     Counted. Probably more.
Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper  2
Long-billed Dowitcher  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  12
Lesser Yellowlegs  3
Ring-billed Gull  200
California Gull  75
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  12
Caspian Tern  8
Brandt's Cormorant  4
Double-crested Cormorant  150
Great Blue Heron  50
Green Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  2
Bald Eagle  16     Counted Probably more.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  6
Northern Flicker  3
Peregrine Falcon  1
Olive-sided Flycatcher  1
Western Wood-Pewee  4
Willow Flycatcher  6
Warbling Vireo  1
American Crow  10
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Purple Martin  8
Tree Swallow  4
Violet-green Swallow  1
Bank Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  60
Cliff Swallow  3
Brown Creeper  4
Marsh Wren  1
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  50
Swainson's Thrush  4
American Robin  4
Cedar Waxwing  50
House Finch  2
Purple Finch  2
Pine Siskin  3
American Goldfinch  30
Savannah Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow  9
Spotted Towhee  3
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
Common Yellowthroat  16
Yellow Warbler  8
Black-throated Gray Warbler  2
Western Tanager  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S117222364
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