[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 8/7/2024

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 30 of us enjoyed a nice summer day at the Refuge with
overcast skies in the morning and sun in the afternoon.  Temperatures were
in the 50"s to 80's degrees Fahrenheit and there was a High 11'1" Tide at
7:34am and a Low 0'3" Tide at 2:08pm.  Highlights included BARRED OWL
hunting in the parking lot between the Visitor Center and Education Center,
numerous GREAT EGRET at the Visitor Center Pond and along McAllister Creek,
BAIRD SANDPIPER x 6 foraging on the mudflats north of the dike and west of
Leschi Slough, and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER near the Beaver Deceiver along
the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.  We also had a good mammal day
with sightings of the River Otter, Raccoon, Long-tailed Weasel and Mink.

For the day, we observed 77 species.  FOY GREEN HERON, Baird's Sandpiper
and MacGillivray's Warbler has bumped up our annual sightings to 163
species this year.  See our eBird report pasted below with details and
photos.

I'll be away next week leading a Clearwater Audubon Trip around the Olympic
Peninsula.  Ken, Jim and Pete will lead the walk next week at 8am in my
absence.

Until then, happy birding.
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 7, 2024 6:33 AM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.86 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Overcast skies in the morning,
sunny skies in the afternoon, temperatures in the 50’s to 80’s degrees
Fahrenheit. A High 11’1” Tide at 7:34am and a Low 0’3” Tide at 2:08pm.
Mammals seen Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, River
Otter, Raccoon, Long-tailed Weasel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor
Seal, and Mink. Also seen Puget Sound Garter Snake, American Bullfrog, and
Red-eared Slider.
77 species (+4 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  80
Wood Duck  10
Blue-winged Teal  1     Seen at 7am along Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Cinnamon Teal  3     Freshwater Marsh
Mallard  125
Green-winged Teal  6     Foraging in surge plain during high tide.
Hooded Merganser  1     Freshwater Marsh
Pied-billed Grebe  1     Freshwater Marsh.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  30
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2
Vaux's Swift  1
Anna's Hummingbird  2
Rufous Hummingbird  1
hummingbird sp.  1
Virginia Rail  1     Heard by Jon in Freshwater Marsh across from entrance
to Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Sora  1     Spotted by Abby in the freshwater marsh just south to the
entrance of the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Killdeer  3
Semipalmated Plover  8     Seen along the Nisqually Estuary Trail and
Boardwalk Trail foraging on mud flats.
Long-billed Dowitcher  8
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Greater Yellowlegs  7
Baird's Sandpiper  6     Initially spotted by Jason. Counted individually.
Photo. Larger than area peeps with long primary projection, Buffy head and
breast with straight bills and black legs. Scaled pattern on mantle.
Observed at 1/4 mile on mudflats west of Leschi Slough with spotting
scopes. Seen multiple times throughout the day.
Least Sandpiper  100
Western Sandpiper  300
Ring-billed Gull  200
California Gull  3
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  20
Larus sp.  100
Caspian Tern  2
Brandt's Cormorant  3
Double-crested Cormorant  60
Green Heron  1     Seen flying along Leschi Slough parallel to Nisqually
Estuary trail then landing in freshwater marsh.
Great Egret  3     Probably four. Observed at least three at one time.
Photo. Freshwater marsh and McAllister Creek.  Visitor Center Pond.
Great Blue Heron  60
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper's Hawk  1     Twin Barns area.
Bald Eagle  40     Counted individually. 16 plus birds on McAllister Creek,
7 plus birds on Nisqually Reach, 5 birds along Nisqually River, 6 birds
within the inner dike, and several high flying birds over McAllister Ridge
along the creek and Hoffmann Hill.
Barred Owl  1     Spotted by Tim hunting around the parking lot between the
Visitor Center and the Education Center.
Belted Kingfisher  4
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1
Western Wood-Pewee  4
Willow Flycatcher  5
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope)  2
Warbling Vireo  1
American Crow  2
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  4
Bank Swallow  4
Tree Swallow  20
Violet-green Swallow  10
Purple Martin  16     Gourds at Luhr Beach.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  150     Visitor Center.
Cliff Swallow  6
Bushtit (Pacific)  15
Brown Creeper  4
Marsh Wren  3
Bewick's Wren  6
European Starling  100
Swainson's Thrush  9
American Robin  20
Cedar Waxwing  20
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  40
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  4
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  4
Song Sparrow  21
Spotted Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  250
Brown-headed Cowbird  10
MacGillivray's Warbler  1     Spotted by Jim near the Beaver Deceiver on
the east side of Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Common Yellowthroat  8
Yellow Warbler  15
Wilson's Warbler  9
Black-headed Grosbeak  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S190615150
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