[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR for 4/23/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Dear Tweets,

Approximately 35 of us had a gorgeous Spring day at the Refuge with sunny
skies and temperatures in the 40's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a
high Low 5'3" Tide at 9:36am and a low High 9'11" Tide at 2:29pm.  The
morning was cool and the birding seemed a little slow to start, but as we
worked our way along our regular route and the temperatures warmed up, so
did the birding.  Highlights included First Of Year observations of
WHIMBREL and CASPIAN TERN on the mudflats along the Nisqually Estuary
Boardwalk Trail.  We had great looks of CINNAMON TEAL in the flooded field
south of the old McAllister Creek Access Road and freshwater marsh,
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER nesting in the Twin Barns Picnic Area, SORA showing
briefly in the freshwater marsh, up close great views of LEAST and WESTERN
SANDPIPER along the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail, and close fly by of
MERLIN hunting shorebirds on the mudflats by McAllister Creek Observation
Platform.  There are two RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD nests, one with chicks, being
monitored along the east section of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.  One is
about 8 railing planks north of the Beaver Deceiver and the other is
approximately the third tree south of the northeast corner of the trail
where there is a bridge on the north side and the cut off towards the
Nisqually River Overlook meet.  Both are on branches that hang over the
borrow slough providing good spacing to prevent disturbing the female.

For the day we observed 79 species, and with other FOY's BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER, OSPREY, PURPLE MARTIN, CLIFF SWALLOW, CHIPPING SPARROW and WILSON'S
WARBLER, we now have observed 129 species thus far this year.  The Cliff
Swallow has been late to return, along with the Cinnamon Teal, Caspian Tern
and Osprey, and was observed flying around the I5 and on-ramp overpass of
McAllister Creek.  The Chipping Sparrow was an early morning reward seen at
6:30am on the Access Road with GOLDEN-CROWNED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW,
not always seen every year.  Please see our eBird Report pasted below with
details and photos.

Others seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed
Deer, Coyote, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Long-tailed Weasel on the Nisqually
Estuary Trail, and Harbor Seal.  We observed both Red-eared Slider and
Painted Turtle in the Visitor Pond, along with Northwest Salamander Egg
Masses and the emergence of American Bullfrog.

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

Shep
-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Apr 23, 2025 6:12 AM - 4:57 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.18 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 40’s
to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 5’3” Tide at 9:36am. Mammals seen Eastern
Cotton-Tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Coyote, Long-tailed
Weasel, Harbor Seal, Eastern Gray Squirrel. Others seen Red-eared Slider,
and Painted Turtle.
79 species (+6 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  45
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  5
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  30
Wood Duck  9
Cinnamon Teal (Northern)  6
Northern Shoveler  200
Gadwall  10
American Wigeon  50
Mallard  125
Northern Pintail  45
Green-winged Teal (American)  400
Ring-necked Duck  4
Black Scoter  1     Observed from Puget Sound Viewing Platform off Luhr
Beach on Nisqually Reach swimming and foraging. Observed with 60x spotting
scope for 5-10 minutes.  Very dark brown to black scoter with round head
and yellow nob on top of upper bill.  No other white on head.
Surf/Black Scoter  1
Bufflehead  100
Common Goldeneye  10
Hooded Merganser  6
Common Merganser (North American)  14
Red-breasted Merganser  10
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  22
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern)  7
Mourning Dove  2
Rufous Hummingbird  11
Virginia Rail  1
Sora  1
American Coot  75
Black-bellied Plover  2     Heard only
Whimbrel (Hudsonian)  2
Wilson's Snipe  2
Greater Yellowlegs  7
Least Sandpiper  75
Western Sandpiper  12
Short-billed Gull  175
Ring-billed Gull  20
American Herring Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  5
Larus sp.  150
Caspian Tern  5
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  18
Osprey (American)  1
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  12
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  3
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Northern Flicker  2
Merlin  1
Steller's Jay  1
American Crow  10
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Tree Swallow  50
Violet-green Swallow  1
Purple Martin  2     Heard only
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  30
Cliff Swallow  5
Brown Creeper  2
Marsh Wren  15
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group)  2
European Starling  50
American Robin  18
Purple Finch (Western)  4
Pine Siskin (Northern)  10
American Goldfinch  2
Chipping Sparrow  1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  4
Golden-crowned Sparrow  15
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  6
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  28
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  1
Red-winged Blackbird  40
Brown-headed Cowbird  8
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  2
Common Yellowthroat  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  30
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  10
Wilson's Warbler  1     Heard only

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S228733072
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20250424/a50053ab/attachment.html>