[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 8/27/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 35 of us had a cool Summer day at the Refuge with overcast
skies and temperatures in the 50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a
High 11’2” Tide at 8:57am, so we altered our route and skipped the Orchard
and Access Roads in the morning to head out on the west entrance to the
Twin Barns Loop Trail and Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike to catch the
falling tide.  Highlights included continuing AMERICAN BITTERN with three
juvenile and one adult being observed in the freshwater marsh.  While
enjoying one of the juvenile's being fed by an adult, we also had sightings
of SORA and heard VIRGINIA RAIL.  The tidal push was productive in pushing
upwards of 1000 WESTERN SANDPIPER closer to the trail and we observed our
First of Year BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, although we
only had scope views.  PEREGRINE FALCON was perched above the Nisqually
River Overlook and AMERICAN KESTREL was perched in a Spruce Tree in the
surge plain.  We had additional nice observations of GREAT EGRET, two
birds, flying into the Refuge.  From the Puget Sound Observation Platform
we scoped First of Year PIGEON GUILLEMOT and had a pair of
RHINOCEROS AUKLETS fly through.

For the day we observed 74 species, with FOY Baird's Sandpiper,
Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Pigeon Guillemot, we now have observed 165
species so far this year.

We also had a great mammal day with River Otter in the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook both in the morning and afternoon, Douglas Squirrel around the
parking lots, Long-tailed Weasel in the Orchard, Columbian Black-tailed
Deer, Harbor Seal, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, and Eastern Gray
Squirrel.  There were sightings of Red-legged Frog, Pacific Choral Frog and
American Bullfrog.  Pink Salmon were observed in the Riparian Forest
Overlook, as well as Pink Salmon carcasses along the banks of the Nisqually
River.

See our eBird report pasted below for further details.  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
Aug 27, 2025 6:51 AM - 3:34 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.071 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday walk. Overcast skies with temperatures in
the 50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 11’2” Tide at 8:57am, we
altered our route and skipped the Orchard and Access Roads heading out on
the west entrance to the Twin Barns Loop Trail to the Nisqually Estuary
Trail to catch the falling tide. Mammals seen included River Otter, Douglas
Squirrel, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Long-tailed Weasel, Columbian Black-tailed
Deer, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, and Harbor Seal.  Others seen included
American Bullfrog, Pacific Choral Frog and Red-legged Frog.
74 species (+8 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  125
Wood Duck  7     Visitor Center Pond.
Northern Shoveler  3
American Wigeon  3
Mallard  30
Northern Pintail  25
Green-winged Teal  50
dabbling duck sp.  6
Common Merganser  25
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern)  11
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Virginia Rail  5
Sora  3
Killdeer  8
Semipalmated Plover  11     Surge plain and mudflats.
Long-billed Dowitcher  1
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher  5
Wilson's Snipe  1
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Baird's Sandpiper  3     Surge plain and mudflats.
Least Sandpiper  75
Western Sandpiper  1000     Counted in groups of 100 on the mudflats of the
surge plain and west of Leschi Slough on a falling high tide.
Semipalmated Sandpiper  2     Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Western/Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
shorebird sp.  1     Possible Sanderling heard.
Rhinoceros Auklet  2
Pigeon Guillemot  1
Short-billed Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  400
California Gull  5
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  10
Larus sp.  300
Caspian Tern  6
Brandt's Cormorant  1     Nisqually River channel marker and flying over
the Sound between Reach and Anderson Island.
Double-crested Cormorant  100
American Bittern  4     Three young and one adult in freshwater marsh.
Great Egret  2     Two observed flying into Refuge. One landed in
freshwater marsh, the other along McAllister Creek
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  50
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  12     Counted individually. 5 observed on inner Refuge and 6-8
observed on Reach and along Nisqually River.
Belted Kingfisher  3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel (Northern)  1
Peregrine Falcon  1     Subadult.
Willow Flycatcher  2
Steller's Jay  2
American Crow  6
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Bank Swallow  2
Violet-green Swallow  10
Purple Martin  1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Barn Swallow (American)  257
Bushtit (Pacific)  10
Brown Creeper  4
Marsh Wren  2
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  100
Swainson's Thrush  7
American Robin  1
Cedar Waxwing  4
House Finch  1
Pine Siskin  1
American Goldfinch  50
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  9
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  8
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  22
Spotted Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Common Yellowthroat  11
Yellow Warbler  5
Western Tanager  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S269926107
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