[Tweeters] Nisqually - Wednesday Walk

[Kenneth Brown]

Hi Tweeters
Today was another gorgeous day at the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR. In the absence of our accustomed leader (Shep the Beneficent) 25 or so of us muddled on, consoled by the lovely weather and several FOY birds.  We started off at the orchard where Bushtits were feeding young in their cozy sock, spotting Yellow Warblers and Western Tanagers, then reversed our usual route and  followed the east side of the loop trail, hoping to get the Great-horned Owl we had last week, to no avail.  Black-throated Gray and Wilson's Warblers, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo and Cedar Waxwings (the last two were heard only) made that loss less painful.  A Bullock's Oriole was seen by a few in the Big leaf Maples by the Twin Barns.  Ducks were lower in number, and shorebirds almost non-existent (with the exception of 17 Whimbrel and 1 lonely Greater Yellow-legs) along the dike and out along the McCallister Creek boardwalk.   The list follows: 
 
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
May 3, 2023 8:04 AM - 2:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.03 mile(s)
75 species (+3 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  5
Cackling Goose  50
Canada Goose  30     5 goslings
Wood Duck  2
Cinnamon Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  60
Gadwall  8
American Wigeon  30
Mallard  13
Northern Pintail  20
Canvasback  1
Ring-necked Duck  3
Surf Scoter  1
Bufflehead  100
Common Goldeneye  4
Hooded Merganser  2
Common Merganser  5
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  4
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Rufous Hummingbird  6     2 female
Virginia Rail  1     Heard only.
American Coot  50
Whimbrel  17     3 on mud, flock of 14 more flew in, seen and counted by at least 5 birders.
Greater Yellowlegs  1
shorebird sp.  50     One flock, all uniform in size and coloring, looked to be plover sized.  Gone before identified.
Short-billed Gull  36     Counted individually.
Ring-billed Gull  40
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15
Larus sp.  50
Caspian Tern  6
Brandt's Cormorant  3
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Great Blue Heron  10
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  25
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  2
Pacific-slope Flycatcher  1
Warbling Vireo  4     Heard only.
Steller's Jay  1
American Crow  12
Common Raven  5
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  8
Purple Martin  2
Tree Swallow  75
Violet-green Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  100
Cliff Swallow  40
Bushtit  3
Brown Creeper  3
Marsh Wren  15
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  8
American Robin  25
Cedar Waxwing  4
Purple Finch  6
American Goldfinch  8
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  3
Savannah Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  25
Spotted Towhee  3
Bullock's Oriole  1
Red-winged Blackbird  40
Brown-headed Cowbird  6
Orange-crowned Warbler  3
Common Yellowthroat  8
Yellow Warbler  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler  8     (2 Myrtle)
Black-throated Gray Warbler  2
Wilson's Warbler  2
Western Tanager  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S135975939
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20230503/e58f0001/attachment.html>