[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR 4/26/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us enjoyed a really nice spring day at the Refuge.  We had cloudy skies in the morning and sun in the afternoon with Temperatures in the 40’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. There was a 9.11ft Tide at 9:38am, so we delayed the Orchard until the afternoon, to get out onto the dike. Highlights included two Great Horned Owlets in a nest tree, with an overlooking adult, between the old Nisqually River Dike and Nisqually River, just north of the Beaver Deceiver on the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail; five Lesser Yellowlegs in the flooded field south of the Twin Barns; seven Whimbrel associated with the tidal mudflats north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail; Purple Martins at the Luhr Beach gourds, and Pacific-slope Flycatcher calling from the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.  See eBird List pasted below. 

We observed 82 species for the day, and have seen 122 species for the year. 

I’ll be traveling to Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Spain, and Bonn Germany for the next month.  Ken, Rob, Pete and Jim will lead the walk in my absence. I’ll be back 5/31. 

Happy May and good birding,
Shep

Shep Thorp, VMD
Family Guy, Emergency Veterinarian, Birder
Browns Point, Tacoma
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Apr 26, 2023 7:13 AM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.881 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 40’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 9.11ft Tide at 9:38am. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, and Coyote. Also seen Red-eared Slider, Red-legged Frog, Bullfrog, Pacific Chorus Frog.
82 species (+9 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima) (Branta hutchinsii minima)  400
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) (Branta hutchinsii taverneri)  25
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) (Branta canadensis moffitti/maxima)  30
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  6
Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera)  6
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  250
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  50
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)  1
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  300
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  100
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  40
Green-winged Teal (American) (Anas crecca carolinensis)  600
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  8
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)  11
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  150
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  100     Counted. Several dozen in McAllister Creek, large flock off Luhr Beach, and another two dozen in Nisqually River.
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  6
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  15
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))  16
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)  3
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)  20
Virginia Rail (Virginia) (Rallus limicola limicola/friedmanni)  2
American Coot (Fulica americana)  200
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)  7
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  11
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  250
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)  2
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  3
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  12
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  5
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  3
Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus)  200
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  40
California Gull (Larus californicus)  2
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis x glaucescens)  7
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus occidentalis/glaucescens)  20
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  12
Common Loon (Gavia immer)  1
Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus)  2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  8
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  25
Accipiter sp. (Accipiter sp.)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  30
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) (Buteo jamaicensis calurus/alascensis)  1
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)  3
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)  3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) (Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati)  4
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) (Dryobates villosus [harrisi Group])  2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group])  1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)  1
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)  6
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  10
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  7
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  3
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  40
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  40
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)  75
Bushtit (Pacific) (Psaltriparus minimus [minimus Group])  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  2
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  8
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  10
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)  6
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  60
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  6
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  16
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis)  4
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)  18
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  10
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  39
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) (Pipilo maculatus [oregonus Group])  3
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  16
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  60
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  8
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) (Leiothlypis celata lutescens)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  12
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)  6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) (Setophaga coronata auduboni)  20
new world warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S135200735