[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 10/12/22

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

approximately 25 of us had a really nice Fall day at the Refuge with sunny
skies and temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees Fahrenheit.  The smog
did not really roll in until later afternoon.  There was a High 13.1ft Tide
at 8:22am, so we decided to skip the Orchard in the morning to make our way
out to the dike to catch the falling tide.  Highlights included good
numbers of CACKLING GOOSE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, VIRGINIA RAIL
and WILSON'S SNIPE, FOX SPARROW and LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and a nice raptor
show with RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL and PEREGRINE FALCON.  We
also had a nice flock of shorebirds including DUNLIN and likely
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.

Starting out our morning at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook, we had
continuing good looks at WOOD DUCK.  We were also treated to several nice
looks of a River Otter foraging in the pond and Columbian Black-tailed Deer.

The fields along the Access Road are beginning to flood, managed by Refuge
biologists, these fields are intentionally flooded every Autumn for
returning waterfowl.  We had very nice numbers of CACKLING GOOSE (minima,
and a few taverners), and approximately twelve GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.

The west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail was very good for VIRGINIA RAIL
and WILSON'S SNIPE.  The Visitor Center Pond is still dried up and very
boggy, so there is plenty of mud and water's edge to survey for these
species.  We also had really nice looks of CEDAR WAXWING and ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD.  A GREAT BLUE HERON was perched in the Peregrine Tree.

Out on the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail, we enjoyed a good raptor
show.  An AMERICAN KESTREL harassing a PEREGRINE FALCON.  A territorial
dispute between a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and RED-TAILED HAWK.  Plenty of BALD
EAGLES and two NORTHERN HARRIERs.  There were good numbers of AMERICAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL and NORTHERN PINTAIL out on the restored surge plain.

We spent a good deal of time working with a group of 200+ shorebirds from
the dike west of Leschi Slough.  We had really nice looks of LEAST
SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.  We
observed a couple of peeps with short stubby bills that seemed slightly
smaller than the surrounding WESA which we suspected were likely
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.

The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was good for HOODED MERGANSER,
AMERICAN WIGEON, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, HORNED GREBE, COMMON LOON,
RING-BILLED GULL, GLAUCOUS WINGED/WESTERN GULL and SHORT-BILLED GULL.  From
the Puget Sound Observation Platform we picked up BRANDT'S CORMORANT
roosting on the channel marker and a fly by of four RHINOCEROS AUKLETS.
After this week, the last 700 feet of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail
will be gated off, temporarily closed, for hunting season until the end of
January.

On our return, we had really nice looks of CALIFORNIA SCRUBJAY,
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BROWN CREEPER, both KINGLETS, and GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROW.

We observed 73 species for the day and have seen 167 species this year.
Mammals seen included River Otter, Coyote, Columbian Black-tailed Deer and
Harbor Seal.  Our frog show continues numerous sightings of Pacific Chorus
Frog, Red-legged Frog, and Bullfrog.

I'll be away for the next 6 weeks travelling the world, Brazil-New
Zealand-Fiji.  Ken Brown, Rob Chrisler, Jon Anderson along with many other
volunteers and regulars will continue the walk in my absence.

Happy Fall, and good birding,
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 12, 2022 7:37 AM - 4:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.156 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 50’s
to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 13.1ft Tide at 8:22 am.  Mammals seen
Coyote, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, River Otter, Harbor Seal.
73 species (+9 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  12
Cackling Goose  500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  4
Canada Goose  20
Wood Duck  2
Northern Shoveler  2
Gadwall  1
American Wigeon  150
Mallard  75
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  700
Hooded Merganser  4
duck sp.  2000
Horned Grebe  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  25
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Virginia Rail  3
Black-bellied Plover  2
Semipalmated Plover  1
Killdeer  24
Dunlin  1
Least Sandpiper  150
Western Sandpiper  25
Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper  3
peep sp.  300
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  3
Greater Yellowlegs  25
shorebird sp.  200     Seen at a distance. Suspect mixed flock of peeps
including Western Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper.
Rhinoceros Auklet  4
Short-billed Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  300
California Gull  4
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  25
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  25
Larus sp.  400
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  5
Double-crested Cormorant  100
Great Blue Heron  30
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  8
Red-shouldered Hawk  1     Heard and seen along the east side of the surge
plain. Barred tail, red head and breast. Aggressive behavior with
Red-tailed Hawk. Distinctive call, “keeyurr”, heard during interaction with
RTHA. Previously observed. Adult.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Steller's Jay  5
California Scrub-Jay  4
American Crow  30
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  10
Bushtit  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  17
Brown Creeper  8
Pacific Wren  5
Marsh Wren  2
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  320
American Robin  60
Cedar Waxwing  30
American Pipit  8
Purple Finch  6
Fox Sparrow  5
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  6
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  30
Lincoln's Sparrow  4
Spotted Towhee  2
Western Meadowlark  4
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S120601532Billy
Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 12, 2022 7:37 AM - 4:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.156 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 50’s
to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 13.1ft Tide at 8:22 am.  Mammals seen
Coyote, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, River Otter, Harbor Seal.
73 species (+9 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  12
Cackling Goose  500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  4
Canada Goose  20
Wood Duck  2
Northern Shoveler  2
Gadwall  1
American Wigeon  150
Mallard  75
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  700
Hooded Merganser  4
duck sp.  2000
Horned Grebe  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  25
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Virginia Rail  3
Black-bellied Plover  2
Semipalmated Plover  1
Killdeer  24
Dunlin  1
Least Sandpiper  150
Western Sandpiper  25
Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper  3
peep sp.  300
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  3
Greater Yellowlegs  25
shorebird sp.  200     Seen at a distance. Suspect mixed flock of peeps
including Western Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper.
Rhinoceros Auklet  4
Short-billed Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  300
California Gull  4
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  25
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  25
Larus sp.  400
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  5
Double-crested Cormorant  100
Great Blue Heron  30
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  8
Red-shouldered Hawk  1     Heard and seen along the east side of the surge
plain. Barred tail, red head and breast. Aggressive behavior with
Red-tailed Hawk. Distinctive call, “keeyurr”, heard during interaction with
RTHA. Previously observed. Adult.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Steller's Jay  5
California Scrub-Jay  4
American Crow  30
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  10
Bushtit  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  17
Brown Creeper  8
Pacific Wren  5
Marsh Wren  2
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  320
American Robin  60
Cedar Waxwing  30
American Pipit  8
Purple Finch  6
Fox Sparrow  5
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  6
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  30
Lincoln's Sparrow  4
Spotted Towhee  2
Western Meadowlark  4
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S120601532
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