[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk, Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, 10/4/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us enjoyed a beautiful Autumn day at the Refuge with
overcast skies in the morning transitioning to sunny skies in the late
morning.  Temperature was in the 50's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit.  There
was a High 12'10" Tide at 10:52am.  Highlights included brief looks at the
continuing NAZCA BOOBY from the Puget Sound Viewing Platform around 11am.
The Booby seems to be feeding from Solo Point north to Tolmie State Park
south and west.  Best views were in the late afternoon on a low tide from
Lhur Beach as the bird perched on a piling.  We also enjoyed First Of Year
HUTTON'S VIREO at the Twin Barns cut-off, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER foraging
with Black-bellied Plover west of Leschi Slough, brief sightings of
SHORT-EARED OWL from Leschi Slough to the north east corner of the Surge
Plain, and SNOW GEESE at the mouth of Nisqually River.  There are two
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS at the Refuge, an immature along the old McAllister
Creek Access Road and a red adult north of the Nisqually River Observation
Platform.

For the day we observed 89 species, with 7 FOY's (including PINE SISKIN and
WESTERN GREBE) bumping us up to 169 species for the year.

Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center, happy
birding!

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 4, 2023 7:34 AM - 5:19 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.227 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Overcast skies in the morning,
sunny skies in the late morning. High 12’10” Tide at 10:52am.  Mammals seen
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, Coyote, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit.
Pacific Tree Frog, Red-legged Frog, Garter Snake.
89 species (+6 other taxa)

Snow Goose  10
Greater White-fronted Goose (Western)  14
Cackling Goose (minima)  300
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  4
Northern Shoveler  10
Gadwall  2
American Wigeon  400
Mallard  50
Northern Pintail  800
Green-winged Teal (American)  1200
Greater Scaup  20
Surf Scoter  50
White-winged Scoter  2
Hooded Merganser  2
Common Merganser  1
Horned Grebe  15
Western Grebe  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  23
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Virginia Rail  1
Black-bellied Plover  7
Killdeer  3
Dunlin  1
Least Sandpiper  75
Western Sandpiper  100
Short-billed Dowitcher  1
Long-billed Dowitcher  12
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  20
Rhinoceros Auklet  6
Short-billed Gull  3
Ring-billed Gull  450
California Gull  15
Glaucous-winged Gull  5
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  8
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  12
Larus sp.  150
Caspian Tern  1
Common Loon  12
Nazca Booby  1     Previously reported rarity. Spotted by Jason, seen by
several in our group flying west beyond Luhr’s Beach. Large white bird with
black flight feathers and pointed wings. Black on sides of tail. Observed
around 11:15am from the Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Brandt's Cormorant  11
Pelagic Cormorant  1
Double-crested Cormorant  100
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  40
Turkey Vulture  2
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  3
Bald Eagle  10
Red-shouldered Hawk  2     Subadult spotted by Steve, flying and perched
along the tree line that crosses the old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Clear white crescents in flight feathers. Second bird red bodied adult
spotted by Lin along the Nisqually River tree line north of the dike.
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Great Horned Owl  1
Short-eared Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  4
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  2
Peregrine Falcon  2
Hutton's Vireo  1
Warbling Vireo  1     Observed in mixed flock foraging in Willow adjacent
to Visitor Center Observation Platform. Larger than area chickadees, plain
vireo type bird with light supercillium, no wing bars. Light yellow on
sides. Observed at 20-30 feet.
Steller's Jay  1
American Crow  9
Common Raven  4
Black-capped Chickadee  25
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  15
Violet-green Swallow  75
Barn Swallow (American)  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  5
Golden-crowned Kinglet  6
Brown Creeper  6
Marsh Wren  1
Bewick's Wren  10
European Starling  400
American Robin  30
Cedar Waxwing  15
American Pipit  10
House Finch  8
Purple Finch  1
Pine Siskin  1
American Goldfinch  40
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  6
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  4
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  8
Song Sparrow  25
Lincoln's Sparrow  3
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  5
Red-winged Blackbird  60
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  2
Common Yellowthroat  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S151450186
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