[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Wednesday Walk for 12/7/2022

[Shep Thorp]

Dear Tweets,

After being away since the middle of October, I had a very warm welcome
back to the Wednesday Walk at Nisqually.  Approximately 20 birders enjoyed
cool temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit and overcast
skies.  There was a Low 7.11ft Tide at 11:25am and a High 13.1ft Tide at
3:54pm, so we elected to do our usual route of the Orchard, Access Roads,
Loop Trail then Estuary Trail.  Highlights included Intergrade Northern
Flicker, Orange-crowned Warbler both lutescens and possibly celata
subspecies, American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Lincoln's Sparrow,
Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Shrike, Long-billed Dowitcher, and
Black-bellied Plover.

Starting out at the Visitor Center at 8am we had nice looks of HOODED
MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCK and AMERICAN WIGEON.  Hundreds of CACKLING
GEESE, minima variety, lifted off the fields from their roost and flew
south toward the agricultural fields where they feed during the day.

The Orchard was good for sparrows, kinglets and hummingbirds.  We had nice
looks of FOX SPARROW, both RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, BROWN
CREEPER, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BEWICK'S WREN, as well as ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD.  Two to three hundred AMERICAN CROW flew over the Refuge from
the Hoffman Hill area headed in a southwest direction towards Lacey.

The fields along the Access Road are flooded providing nice looks of
NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN SHOVELER and GREEN-WINGED
TEAL.  We also saw several AMERICAN COOT and WILSON'S SNIPE.  We were
treated to a great raptor show with excellent views of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK,
COOPER'S HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK and NORTHERN HARRIER.  A pair of BALD EAGLES
were perched in the Cottonwood Nest Tree over the Twin Barns and we
observed one of the eagles return with a freshly caught MALLARD.
Investigating the grounds underneath the tree we found different wings and
feathers from various species of waterfowl.

The Twin Barns Loop Trail provided a nice look of an Intergrade NORTHERN
FLICKER with both a black and red malar stripe.  The red shafted Northern
Flicker has a red malar stripe and the yellow shafted Northern Flicker has
a black malar stripe.  Seeing a bird with both red and black malar made us
think of Intergrade, however the individual we observed had a plain nape.
Both MARSH WREN and PACIFIC WREN were very vocal.  PURPLE FINCH were
foraging in the Oregon Ash.  At the Twin Barns cut-off we had a nice mixed
flock which included both green (lutescens) and gray headed
(orestera?/celata?) varieties of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and DOWNY and
HAIRY WOODPECKER.  AMERICAN BITTERN was seen in the slough alongside the
Twin Barns.

Out on the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail, we had great looks at
an adult California type, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, that has been previously
reported.   The RSHA was interacting with a juvenile RTHA along the east
side of the surge plain north of the dike along the stand of trees between
the Nisqually River and the surge plain.  Quick, but good looks of VIRGINIA
RAIL and LINCOLN'S SPARROW were seen just north of the dike.  GADWALL
continue to be regularly found in the surge plain.  WESTERN MEADOWLARK are
frequently seen flushed between the surge plain and Leschi Slough just
north of the dike.  The freshwater marsh was good for waterfowl,
including Taverner's variety of CACKLING GEESE and numerous RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS.  A nice sized flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH flew overhead.  We
observed many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER near the entrance of the Nisqually
Estuary Boardwalk Trail, along with several GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and two
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.

With the rising tide, the Estuary Boardwalk Trail was great for GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, small flocks of LEAST SANDPIPER, and larger flocks of DUNLIN.
A PEREGRINE FALCON showed up to hunt the flooding estuary.  We had good
looks of BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, HORNED
GREBE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and SPOTTED SANDPIPER.  Hundreds of NORTHERN
PINTAIL and AMERICAN WIGEON were pushed in, we observed 4 EURASIAN WIGEON.
We observed thousands of AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL.  The last 750 feet of
the boardwalk are closed for hunting season until the end of January.  With
scopes we were able to spot SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, COMMON LOON
and BRANDT'S CORMORANT.  We had up close good views of SHORT-BILLED GULL,
RING-BILLED GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and WESTERN X GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
hybrid (Olympic Gull).

On our return, we had excellent looks of NORTHERN SHRIKE hunting in the
freshwater marsh.  A single non-breeding plumage BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER just
west of Leschi Slough.  17 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were foraging along with
waterfowl in the surge plain.  COMMON MERGANSER have returned to the
Nisqually River overlook area to help complete our merganser sweep for the
day.  We picked up VARIED THRUSH in the Riparian Forest on our way back.

Another great day at the Refuge with 75 species seen, we have seen 271
species for the year.  Mammals seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer,
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal - smacking it's flippers on the water at
the confluence of McAllister Creek and Shannon Slough, and numerous
California Sea Lion - in the Nisqually River as well.

Until next Wednesday at 8am, good birding!
Shep
-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Dec 7, 2022 7:51 AM - 4:32 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.372 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Temperatures in the 30’s to 40’s
degree Fahrenheit. Overcast skies. A Low 7.11ft Tide at 11:25am and a High
13.1ft Tide at 3:54pm. Mammals seen Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal and California Sea Lion.
75 species (+7 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  600
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  20
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  20
Northern Shoveler  100
Gadwall  35
Eurasian Wigeon  3
American Wigeon  750
Mallard  300
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  2000     Probably more. Upwards of 2,500-3,000 birds
observed.
Ring-necked Duck  7
Surf Scoter  15
White-winged Scoter  3
Bufflehead  125
Common Goldeneye  40
Hooded Merganser  8
Common Merganser  1
Red-breasted Merganser  40
Horned Grebe  20
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  30
Anna's Hummingbird  2
Virginia Rail  3
American Coot  15
Black-bellied Plover  1
Dunlin  400
Least Sandpiper  50
Long-billed Dowitcher  17
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Short-billed Gull  75
Ring-billed Gull  50
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  5
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  15
Larus sp.  150
Common Loon  6
Brandt's Cormorant  9
Double-crested Cormorant  25
American Bittern  1
Great Blue Heron  30
Northern Harrier  3
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  25
Red-shouldered Hawk  1     Previously reported. Photos taken.  Seen perched
and flying at 1000 feet with binoculars and spotting scope. An adult
California type RSHA with black wings and tail with white barring. Observed
from the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail just north of the Twin Barns
in the stand of trees that run along the west bank of the Nisqually River
on the east side of the surge plain.
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Belted Kingfisher  3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Northern Shrike  1
American Crow  350
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Bushtit  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  8
Golden-crowned Kinglet  30
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  3
Marsh Wren  6
Bewick's Wren  3
European Starling  300
Varied Thrush  2
American Robin  20
Purple Finch  2
American Goldfinch  38
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  4
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  15
Song Sparrow  23
Lincoln's Sparrow  1
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  4
Western Meadowlark  5
Red-winged Blackbird  40
Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed)  1
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  35

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S123622353
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