[Tweeters] Wednesdya Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR - 12/27/2023 - year end walk!

[Shep Thorp]

Dear Tweets,

Approximately 20 of us had a nice Year End Walk at the Refuge with
intermittent rain and temperatures in the 40's degrees Fahrenheit.  There
was a high Low 8'6" Tide at 12:30pm.  Highlights included high count of
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER - upwards of 5 seen, WILSON SNIPE in flooded field
south of the old McAllister Creek Access Road and west entrance to the Twin
Barns Loop Trail, nice Mixed Flocks of BROWN CREEPER/BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE/both KINGLETS/DOWNY WOODPECKER/BEWICKS WREN along the Twin Barns
Loop Trail, large flock of 1500 plus DUNLIN on the mud flats, RED-THROATED
LOON from McAllister Creek Viewing Platform, and nice up close looks of
SPOTTED SANDPIPER at the end of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
I've noted in our eBird Report locations of sightings when appropriate, see
report pasted below.

We observed 70 species for the day, and have seen a total of 175 species
this year.  Since starting our eBird Account, Nisqually Birdwatch, in 2016,
we have completed our 8th year eBird reporting and have seen 215 species in
total.

Highlights for 2023 included BLACK SCOTER, PARASITIC JAEGER, NAZCA BOOBY,
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.  Other notable
sightings included CANVASBACK, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, LONG-BILLED CURLEW,
WILSON'S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER,
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-EYED
VIREO, EVENING GROSBEAK, LESSER GOLDFINCH, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,

Misses for 2023 include Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Iceland Gull,
Herring Gull, Pacific Loon, Rough-legged Hawk, Brewer's Blackbird,
Nashville Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, House Sparrow.

Happy New Year, and until we meet again in 2024 at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook at 8am, happy birding!

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742


Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Dec 27, 2023 7:31 AM - 4:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.665 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with intermittent light
rain. Temperature in the 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 8’6” Tide at
12:30pm. Mammals seen Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal, Sea Lion.
70 species (+4 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  700
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  6
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  50
Northern Shoveler  250
Gadwall  40
Eurasian Wigeon  1     McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
American Wigeon  750
Mallard  316
Northern Pintail  400
Green-winged Teal  1250
Ring-necked Duck  2     Visitor Center Pond
Surf Scoter  10
scoter sp.  30
Bufflehead  150
Common Goldeneye  45
Hooded Merganser  4
Common Merganser  2     Nisqually River.
Red-breasted Merganser  15
Horned Grebe  12
Anna's Hummingbird  2
American Coot  40
Long-billed Dowitcher  40     Surge plain.
Wilson's Snipe  2     One seen in flooded field south of the old McAllister
Creek Access Road, the other seen at the west entrance to the Twin Barns
Loop Trail.
Spotted Sandpiper  2     End of Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Dunlin  1500
Least Sandpiper  100
Bonaparte's Gull  80     Nisqually Reach
Short-billed Gull  75
Ring-billed Gull  50
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Larus sp.  200
Red-throated Loon  1     Shannon slough and McAllister Creek Viewing
Platform.
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  3     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  30
Great Blue Heron  40
Northern Harrier  3
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  14
Red-tailed Hawk  4
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  5     Orchard, Big Maple next to the intersection
between the west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail and Access Road, and Big
Maple next to Twin Barns Slough.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  6
Peregrine Falcon  1
California Scrub-Jay  1     Entrance Road
American Crow  300
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  10
Golden-crowned Kinglet  15
Brown Creeper  8
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  8
Bewick's Wren  3
European Starling  200
Varied Thrush  2     Parking Lot and Orchard
American Robin  15
House Finch  12
Purple Finch  1
Pine Siskin  1
American Goldfinch  3
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3
White-crowned Sparrow  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow  25
Lincoln's Sparrow  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  3
Western Meadowlark  3     Mowed grass in freshwater marsh.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler  8

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S157336503
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