[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 4/24/2024

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately thirty of us had a very active day of birding at the Refuge
with cloudy skies, intermittent light rain and temperatures in the 40's to
50's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a Low -0'7" Tide at 12:53pm.
Highlights included First of Year WILSON'S WARBLER, WARBLING VIREO, SORA,
WESTERN TANAGER, BANK SWALLOW and VAUX'S SWIFT.  We also had really nice
looks of CINNAMON TEAL, nesting RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and MERLIN.  There were
high counts for YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, swallow species, and BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER.

For the day we observed 96 species.  We enjoyed 8 FOY and have seen 134
species this year.  See eBird Report pasted below with details and embedded
photos.

Until next week when we meet again at 8am, happy spring birding!

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Apr 24, 2024 7:01 AM - 5:50 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.704 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Cloudy skies with intermittent
light rain and temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low
-0’7” Tide at 12:53pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.
96 species (+4 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  13     Freshwater marsh.
Brant (Black)  40     Nisqually Reach scoped from Puget Sound Observation
Platform.
Cackling Goose (minima)  400
Canada Goose (canadensis Group)  25
Wood Duck  6
Blue-winged Teal  2     Flooded field south of Twin Barns.
Cinnamon Teal  7
Northern Shoveler  125
Gadwall  20
American Wigeon  75
Mallard  30
Northern Pintail  45
Green-winged Teal (American)  800
Ring-necked Duck  6
Greater Scaup  1     Shannon slough.
Surf Scoter  12
Bufflehead  60
Common Goldeneye  20
Hooded Merganser  4
Common Merganser  5
Red-breasted Merganser  8
Pied-billed Grebe  2     Freshwater Marsh
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  7
Band-tailed Pigeon  9
Mourning Dove  3
Vaux's Swift  25
Anna's Hummingbird  0
Rufous Hummingbird  5     Nest in Pear Tree near entrance to Technician
Building.
Virginia Rail (Virginia)  1     Heard only.  Freshwater marsh.
Sora  2     “Sora” call heard multiple times in the morning in flooded
fields south of Twin Barns.
American Coot (Red-shielded)  75
Black-bellied Plover  20     Counted. 18 seen on the reach with other
shorebirds from the Puget Sound Observation Platform with 60x spotting
scope. 3 additional seen from Nisqually Estuary Trail on mudflats west of
Leschi Slough.
Killdeer  2
Semipalmated Plover  2     Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Whimbrel (Hudsonian)  1     Mudflats west of Leschi Slough at 3:30pm on
incoming tide.
Wilson's Snipe  1
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Dunlin  300
Least Sandpiper  200
Western Sandpiper  30
Bonaparte's Gull  15
Short-billed Gull  120
Ring-billed Gull  15
Western Gull  1
California Gull  2
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15
Larus sp.  50
Caspian Tern  6
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  6
Double-crested Cormorant  35
Great Blue Heron  20
Turkey Vulture  2
Bald Eagle  75     Occupied nest west side of Nisqually River north of dike
and across McAllister Creek from Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  1
Merlin  1
Warbling Vireo  1     Spotted by Jason at Twin Barns Picnic Area.
Steller's Jay  3     West side of McAllister Creek.
California Scrub-Jay  1
American Crow  12
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  3
Bank Swallow  1     First spotted by Jason foraging over flooded fields
south of Twin Barns with other swallows. Observed with 10x bins. Small
brown topped swallow with white throat and necktie. Observed by many on
walk.
Tree Swallow  200
Violet-green Swallow  200
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  300
Cliff Swallow  50
Bushtit (Pacific)  3     Nests in Orchard, entrance to Maintenance Building
and north section of Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Brown Creeper  6     Next in medium next to entrance road to Education
Center Parking Lot.
Pacific Wren  2
Marsh Wren  10
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  10
American Robin  25
American Pipit  1     Fly over Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Purple Finch  5     Orchard.
Pine Siskin  6
American Goldfinch  6
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  1
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  5
Song Sparrow  20
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  2
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Brown-headed Cowbird  15
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  8
Common Yellowthroat  16
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  65
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  130
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle x Audubon's)  6     High count of
yellow-rumped warbler. Hundreds seen approximately 30% Myrtle variety.
Several yellow and white throated warblers with variable eyebrows and black
masks consistent with intergrades and suspected crossbacks.  Multiple seen
by multiple birders. Could be more.
Wilson's Warbler  5
Western Tanager  1     Seen by Eric along the Nisqually Estuary Trail in
the Willow Trees between the dike and slough. Male. Orange head, yellow
body, black wings with wing bars.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S170174489
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