[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Wednesday Walk for 8/2/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us had a really nice sunny summer day at the Refuge
with temperatures in the 60's to 80's degrees Fahrenheit and a light
southwest breeze.  There was a Low -3'7" Tide at 12:47pm, with a high 13+'
tide at 5am and a 14+' tide at 8pm, so we decided to chase the falling tide
in the morning and head straight to the dike.  Highlights included three
AMERICAN BITTERN-two in the Visitor Center Pond and one in the freshwater
marsh, good numbers of distant shorebirds-LEAST SANDPIPERS-WESTERN
SANDPIPERS-SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER with nice flyovers
of LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, VIRGINIA RAIL with chick and two SORA in the
freshwater marsh, nice looks at OSPREY-AMERICAN KESTREL-and MERLIN, and
some up close looks at WARBLING VIREO at the Riparian Forest cutoff.

After an afternoon lunch, some of us returned for the evening high tide and
picked up BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE.

The best tides for shorebirds seem to be between 9' to 11' either incoming
or outgoing.

We had 71 species for the day and have seen 150 species this year.  FOY
Semipalmated Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope.

Until we meet again next week at 8am.

Happy birding,
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Day Walk:
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 2, 2023 6:40 AM - 2:42 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.126 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny, temperatures in the 60’s to
80’s degree Fahrenheit. A Low -3’7” Tide at 12:47pm. Mammals seen
Long-tailed Weasel, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend’s Chipmunk,
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, and Harbor Seal.
68 species (+4 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  60
Wood Duck  12
Cinnamon Teal  3
Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal  1
Mallard  75
Hooded Merganser  2
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Rufous Hummingbird  2
Virginia Rail  3
Sora  2
Semipalmated Plover  20     Counted on mud flats with spotting scope at
200-300 feet. Foraging and roosting with Least Sandpiper and Western
Sandpiper during on incoming tide.  Seen with several hundred other
shorebirds.
Killdeer  4
Least Sandpiper  200
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
Western Sandpiper  300
Long-billed Dowitcher  8
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  3
Greater Yellowlegs  8
Short-billed Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  200
California Gull  75
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Larus sp.  400
Caspian Tern  8
Double-crested Cormorant  40
American Bittern  3
Great Blue Heron  50
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  20     At least 14 out on the reach, 6-8 seen in the inner
Refuge.  Numerous subadults and adults.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  4
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  1
Merlin  1
Western Wood-Pewee  15
Willow Flycatcher  8
Pacific-slope Flycatcher  1
Warbling Vireo (Western)  2
American Crow  4
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  3
Purple Martin  12
Tree Swallow  1
Violet-green Swallow  1
Bank Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  100
Cliff Swallow  2
Bushtit (Pacific)  4
Brown Creeper  2
Marsh Wren  8
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  300
Swainson's Thrush  8
American Robin  8
Cedar Waxwing  15
Purple Finch  1
American Goldfinch  15
Savannah Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  10
Spotted Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  10
Yellow Warbler  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S146315242

Evening Walk:
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 2, 2023 4:14 PM - 7:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Evening walk.
45 species

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  60
Cinnamon Teal  3
Mallard  30
Hooded Merganser  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
Semipalmated Plover  12
Baird's Sandpiper  2
Least Sandpiper  150
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
Western Sandpiper  300
Long-billed Dowitcher  3
Wilson's Snipe  1
Red-necked Phalarope  1
Greater Yellowlegs  12
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Short-billed Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  150
California Gull  50
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Caspian Tern  2
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  20
Osprey  2
Bald Eagle  8
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Western Wood-Pewee  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Purple Martin  2
Bank Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  40
Cliff Swallow  4
Marsh Wren  2
Bewick's Wren  1
European Starling  200
Swainson's Thrush  1
American Robin  2
Cedar Waxwing  2
American Goldfinch  4
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  4
Red-winged Blackbird  6
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Common Yellowthroat  3
Yellow Warbler  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S146314494
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20230803/28c39352/attachment.html>