[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Wednesday Walk for 2/7/2024

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us had a very nice Winter's day of birding with partly
cloudy skies and temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit.
There was a high Low 9'2" Tide at 10:08am and a High 12'10" Tide at
2:16pm.  Highlights included NORTHERN SHRIKE in the flooded field just
south of the old McAllister Creek Access Road and west of the west end
parking lot; great looks of WILSON'S SNIPE and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER from
the Twin Barns Overlook: FOY TREE SWALLOW with continuing BARN SWALLOW out
on the Nisqually Estuary Trail; FOY first year Thayer's type ICELAND GULL
on the McAllister Creek Observation Platform roof; a young brown
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in McAllister Creek; FOY HERRING GULL on Nisqually
Reach; and a MERLIN catching a Little Brown Bat at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook.

The end of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail is now open, as hunting
season has ended.

We observed 78 species for the day, and have seen 95 species this year.
Mammals seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Cotton-tailed
Rabbit, Harbor Seal, and Little Brown Bat.  See eBird report listed below.

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
Feb 7, 2024 7:48 AM - 3:59 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.629 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Partly cloudy with temperatures in
the 30’s to 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 9’2” Tide at 10:08am and a High
12’10” Tide at 2:16pm. Mammals seen Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
Cotton-tailed Rabbit, and Harbor Seal.
78 species (+4 other taxa)

Brant (Black)  3     Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Cackling Goose (minima)  1200
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  30
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  30
Northern Shoveler  75
Gadwall  50
Eurasian Wigeon  3
American Wigeon  600
Mallard  200
Northern Pintail  200
Green-winged Teal (American)  400
Ring-necked Duck  4
Greater Scaup  10     Nisqually Reach.
Surf Scoter  50
White-winged Scoter  4
Bufflehead  200
Common Goldeneye  80
Hooded Merganser  7
Common Merganser  15
Red-breasted Merganser  45
Pied-billed Grebe  2     Visitor Center Pond.
Horned Grebe  18
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Anna's Hummingbird  2
American Coot (Red-shielded)  75
Killdeer  1
Semipalmated Plover  4     Previously reported. Wintering in the surge
plain. Small peep sized plover with single neck band.
Long-billed Dowitcher  26     Twin Barns Observation Platform.
Wilson's Snipe  4     Twin Barns Observation Platform.
Spotted Sandpiper  2     West Bank of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Dunlin  2000
Least Sandpiper  150     Counted. Two groups of 60 plus birds. Multiple
small groups of 4-6. Seen along the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Short-billed Gull  100
Ring-billed Gull  75
Western Gull  1
Herring Gull  1     Nisqually Reach
Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15
Iceland Gull (Thayer's)  1     McAllister Creek Observation Platform.
Larus sp.  200
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  8
Brandt's Cormorant  8     Nisqually channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  10
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1     Twin Barns.
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  3
Merlin  1
Northern Shrike  1     Flooded field west of west end parking lot.
American Crow  250
Common Raven  4
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Tree Swallow  20     Freshwater Marsh
Barn Swallow  20     Foraging and flying over the freshwater marsh and
Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Bushtit  5     Entrance gate.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  6
Golden-crowned Kinglet  8
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  8
Bewick's Wren  3
European Starling  50
Varied Thrush  1     Orchard.
American Robin  30
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  3     Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Golden-crowned Sparrow  25
Song Sparrow  33
Lincoln's Sparrow  1     Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee  4
Western Meadowlark  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160909777
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