[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 7/26/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,
approximately 20 of us had a beautiful summer day at the Refuge with sunny
skies and temperatures in the 50's to 70's.  There was a High 9'4" Tide at
1:26pm.  Highlights included two AMERICAN BITTERNS around the Visitor
Center Pond, many fledglings around the Twin Barns Loop Trail, a sighting
of the GREAT HORNED OWL along the east side of the trail, and the return of
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and BAIRD'S SANDPIPER on the Fall migration.  I've
retracted our American Redstart sighting from two weeks ago - to warbler
species - after closer review of photos.  See eBird list pasted below.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am.
Happy birding,
Shep
-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jul 26, 2023 6:24 AM - 4:27 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.105 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Sunny with temperatures in the
50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 9’4” Tide at 1:26pm. Mammals seen
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal.
67 species (+2 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  20
Wood Duck  2
Cinnamon Teal  3
Northern Shoveler  1
Mallard  30
Hooded Merganser  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Band-tailed Pigeon  1
Mourning Dove  3
Vaux's Swift  4
Rufous Hummingbird  2
hummingbird sp.  2
Semipalmated Plover  5
Killdeer  1
Baird's Sandpiper  2     Two observed foraging on mud flats north of
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail between Observation Tower  and McAllister
Creek Observation Platform. Seen at 300 feet with 60x spotting scope.
Digiscope photo. Seemed larger than area peeps with Buffy head and wing
projections beyond tail. Straight bill, seemed proportionally shorter than
WESA. Scaled pattern to plumage on back. Seems early to see this species.
Least Sandpiper  10
Western Sandpiper  2
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher  1
Greater Yellowlegs  4
Ring-billed Gull  300
California Gull  100
Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Caspian Tern  20
Brandt's Cormorant  3
Double-crested Cormorant  150
American Bittern  2
Great Blue Heron  80
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  10
Great Horned Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-breasted Sapsucker  2
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  2
Peregrine Falcon  1
Western Wood-Pewee  8
Willow Flycatcher  6
Pacific-slope Flycatcher  1
Warbling Vireo  3
American Crow  4
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Purple Martin  6
Tree Swallow  10
Violet-green Swallow  2
Bank Swallow  6     Counted. Possibly more.
Barn Swallow  82
Cliff Swallow  20
Brown Creeper  3
Marsh Wren  8
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  75
Swainson's Thrush  21
American Robin  10
Cedar Waxwing  40
House Finch  3
Purple Finch  1
American Goldfinch  30
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  15
Spotted Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird  40
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
MacGillivray's Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  25
Yellow Warbler  8
Wilson's Warbler  1
Black-headed Grosbeak  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S145717362
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