[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR on 11/29/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us coped with a cold and foggy morning at the Refuge
with temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit and a High 14'11"
Tide at 7:49am and a Low 8'3" Tide at 1:20pm.  The good side to more
extreme environmental conditions is that we often get to see different
behaviors, which was certainly true for our Wednesday Walk.  Because of the
morning high tide, we decided to skip the Orchard in the morning, in my
usual attempt to get out to the dike and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail
earlier.  Highlights included high counts of WILSON'S SNIPE and LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER.  We observed Snipe in the Visitor Center Pond, flooded field
south of the Twin Barns, freshwater marsh, and a NORTHERN HARRIER flushed a
flock of a dozen or so in the flooded field adjacent to the Twin Barns
Overlook.  We likely observed well over 50 Long-billed Dowitcher in the
surge plain, mudflats west of Leschi Slough and mudflats along the
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.  My perception is that we are seeing
many more Dowitchers more frequently in comparison to other late November
years.  A BARRED OWL continued uncharacteristically lethargic behavior
along the Twin Barns Observation boardwalk.  This bird has been seen from
time to time over the last 4 weeks.  Sadly, later in the day the Owl fell
from its perch landing on the ground.  Refuge Volunteers monitored the bird
until a Refuge Biologist could examine it, but unfortunately the Owl died.
Cause of death is not known at this time, however given the history and
time of year I speculate that starvation of a first year bird may be the
cause.  Certainly other causes are possible like Influenza and
Rodenticide Toxicity, however there have been two Barred Owls that have
shown up at the Refuge the last few months, where usually the Great Horned
Owl out competes, the uncharacteristic close observations over 2-3 months
in the Refuge makes me suspect weak individuals struggling to feed
themselves.  In the slough adjacent to the Twin Barns we had nice looks of
AMERICAN BITTERN and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a photo of a Rail or Sora is
pending.  The dike was great for WESTERN MEADOWLARK, MERLIN and NORTHERN
SHRIKE.  We had nice looks of RED-NECKED LOON and COMMON LOON in McAllister
Creek.  See our eBird report pasted below with some uploaded photos.

For the day we had 67 species, with 172 species seen this year.  We were
not able to relocate the Common Redpoll photographed earlier in the week or
hear/see the Red-shouldered Hawk.

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
Nov 29, 2023 7:51 AM - 4:34 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.115 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy and foggy with temperatures
in the 30’s to 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 14’11” Tide at 7:49am and a
Low 8’3” Tide at 1:20pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit,
Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal and
California Sea Lion.
67 species (+9 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  2500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  50
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  10
Northern Shoveler  111
Gadwall  6
Eurasian Wigeon  1     Seen from McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
American Wigeon  2000
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)  1     Found by Teri in flooded field
adjacent to Twin Barns Overlook.
Mallard  150
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  2500     Counted in 100’s over surge plain, tidal
estuary west of Leschi Slough and either side of Shannon Slough, and
flooded fields. Likely more AGWT then AMWI which were seen in comparable
numbers.
Ring-necked Duck  1     Visitor Center Pond.
Surf Scoter  50
White-winged Scoter  2
Bufflehead  150
Common Goldeneye  10
Hooded Merganser  6
Common Merganser  7
Red-breasted Merganser  15
Horned Grebe  6
Anna's Hummingbird  3
American Coot  15
rail/crake sp.  1     Spotted by Steve Meyers in Slough adjacent to Twin
Barns Overlook boardwalk. Photo pending.
Killdeer  2
Long-billed Dowitcher  50     High count, likely more. Seen in surge plain,
mudflats west of Leschi Slough and along the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk
Trail.
Wilson's Snipe  20     High count!  Visitor Center Pond, flooded field
south of Twin Barns, and Northern Harrier flushed flock in flooded field
adjacent to Twin Barns Overlook.
Greater Yellowlegs  12
Dunlin  25     Low count.
Least Sandpiper  40
Western Sandpiper  1     Seen with flock of Dunlin on mudflats west of
Leschi Slough.
Short-billed Gull  10
Ring-billed Gull  40
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  30
Larus sp.  50
Red-throated Loon  1     McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
Common Loon  3     Two seen in McAllister Creek
Double-crested Cormorant  20
cormorant sp.  3
American Bittern  1     Slough adjacent to Twin Barns Overlook boardwalk.
Located in the late morning and afternoon.
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  20
Red-tailed Hawk  4
Barred Owl  1     Seen adjacent to the Twin Barns along the Twin Barns
Overlook boardwalk. Lethargic. Later in the morning the bird fell from its
roost and was monitored by Refuge volunteers until Refuge Biologist could
examine it. Unfortunately the owl died, and the cause of death is unknown
at this time. However juvenile owl death due to malnutrition is not
uncommon in the late fall.
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1     Orchard area near Technician Building.
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  4
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1     Previously seen and
photographed bird. Along Access Road west of Orchard. Red nape, black and
slightly red malar stripe and orange shafts of feather.
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Northern Shrike  1     Seen twice, once 1/4 mile north of the dike along
Leschi Slough and second time much closer in trees where Leschi Slough goes
under the dike.
American Crow  400
Common Raven  4
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  10
Golden-crowned Kinglet  20
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  6
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  600
Varied Thrush  2     Orchard.
American Robin  20
American Goldfinch  1     Twin Barns area.
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  5
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Golden-crowned Sparrow  35
Song Sparrow  25
Lincoln's Sparrow  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail, north side of of dike.
Spotted Towhee  20     High count, Orchard.
Western Meadowlark  2     On either side of the dike of Nisqually Estuary
Trail, both in freshwater Marsh and grassy area adjacent to Leschi Slough.
Red-winged Blackbird  80
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  4     Adjacent to sloughs along Twin
Barns and Access Roads, as well as seen in the Orchard.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S155491619
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