[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr NWR Wednesday Walk for 2/14/2024

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 35 of us endured a cold foggy morning with partly cloudy
skies for 1-2 hours around noon, then cloudy skies with light rain in the
afternoon and temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit.  There
was a High 15'4" Tide at 8:39am and a Low 1'6" Tide at 3:22pm.  Highlights
included FOY MOURNING DOVE in the Orchard, and FOY TOWNSEND'S WARBLER along
the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail with a mixed flock including 20+
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.  Nice looks of DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and
WILSON'S SNIPE around the Twin Barns.  Good looks of 6+ WESTERN SANDPIPER
mixed in with a large flock of DUNLIN on the mudflats north of the
Nisqually Estuary Trail.  And continuing immature male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
in McAllister Creek with a large group of SURF SCOTER.

For the day, we observed 72 species, and with FOY Mourning Dove, Townsend's
Warbler, and a heard only HUTTON'S VIREO near the Visitor Center, we have
observed 98 species this year.  Mammals seen included a Mink seen in the
slough adjacent to the Twin Barns (there have been reports of observed Mink
from the west entrance to the Twin Barns Loop Trail to the Twin Barns
Observation Platform), Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed
Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.  See eBird list pasted below
with notes on locations.

Until next week when we meet again, happy birding.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Feb 14, 2024 7:37 AM - 3:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.87 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Foggy and mostly cloudy with a
steady breeze in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 30’s to 40’s degree’s
Fahrenheit. A High 15’4” Tide at 8:39am and a Low 1’6” Tide at 3:22pm.
Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer,
Mink (seen in slough adjacent to the Twin Barns), Eastern Gray Squirrel and
Harbor Seal.
72 species (+6 other taxa)

Brant  40     Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Cackling Goose (minima)  100
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  40
Northern Shoveler  250
Gadwall  50
Eurasian Wigeon  3     One in the surge plain, two seen from McAllister
Creek Observation Platform.
American Wigeon  600
Mallard  300
Northern Pintail  200
Green-winged Teal (American)  800
Ring-necked Duck  3
Surf Scoter  50
White-winged Scoter  1     Immature male with Surf Scoters in McAllister
Creek.
Bufflehead  250
Common Goldeneye  125
Hooded Merganser  8
Red-breasted Merganser  30
Pied-billed Grebe  1     Visitor Center Pond
Horned Grebe  6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  1     Orchard.
American Coot  125
Semipalmated Plover  3     Continuing winter resident. Seen in the surge
plain north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Long-billed Dowitcher  8     Flooded field south of Twin Barns.
Wilson's Snipe  6     Twin Barns Observation Platform.
Spotted Sandpiper  2     West side of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Dunlin  1500
Least Sandpiper  150     Likely more. Several large sized flocks of 50 plus
birds. Seen from Nisqually Estuary Trail and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk
Trail.
Western Sandpiper  6     Probably more. Several Western Sandpipers mixed in
large flock of Dunlin. Smaller and white throated in comparison to Dunlin.
Shorter bill and lighter gray back than area Dunlin.
Short-billed Gull  200
Ring-billed Gull  75
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Larus sp.  150
Common Loon  1     Nisqually Reach.
Brandt's Cormorant  4     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Pelagic Cormorant  1
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  8
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Belted Kingfisher  3
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
Hutton's Vireo  1     Heard only
American Crow  100
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Tree Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  2     Black throated in comparison to Tree Swallows. Dark
purple back versus green iridescence of Tree Swallows.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  12
Brown Creeper  2
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  3
Bewick's Wren  5
European Starling  40
Varied Thrush  3
American Robin  80
Pine Siskin  3     Twin Barns Overlook.
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  50
Song Sparrow  24
Lincoln's Sparrow  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee  6
Western Meadowlark  1
Red-winged Blackbird  30
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  20
Townsend's Warbler  1     East side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161533070
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