[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 2/19/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

We had a pretty nice day of Winter Birding at the Refuge with temperatures
in the 40's degrees Fahrenheit, intermittent light rain and wind, and a
High 12'10" Tide at 9:11am.  Approximately 20 birders joined the walk, and
we said hello to Alec and the Brown Creepers (self named group of bird
watchers) visiting the Refuge from the Seattle area.  Highlights included
two continuing BARN SWALLOW roosting in an old nest in the Visitor Center
breezeway, SNOW GOOSE with CANADA GOOSE in the flooded field south of the
Twin Barns, continuing SEMIPALMATED PLOVER in the surge plain and
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER with flock of SURF SCOTER in the McAllister Creek.
First of year included HERMIT THRUSH and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER on the Twin
Barns Loop Trail and CALIFORNIA GULL roosting with SHORT-BILLED GULL on the
surge plain.

Alec and the Brown Creeper group from Seattle observed RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH around the Twin Barns and WESTERN MEADOWLARK between the dike and
surge plain which we did not locate.

There is a California Sea Lion carcass on the surge plain which was being
foraged by BALD EAGLES.

For the day we observed 70 species and have seen 102 species thus far this
year.  Mammals seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal,
River Otter in McAllister Creek, and Cotton-tailed Rabbit.  Both Pacific
Tree Frog and Red-legged Frog were reported.

Please see our eBird report below with details.

We will meet again next week at 8am on Wednesday at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook.  Until then, have a nice week.

Happy birding,
Shep


-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Feb 19, 2025 7:20 AM - 3:56 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.954 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Temperatures in the 40’s degrees
Fahrenheit with intermittent rain and wind. There was a High 12’10” Tide at
9:11am and a Low 1’8” Tide at 1:26pm.  Mammals seen included Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, River Otter, Harbor Seal and Eastern Cotton-tailed
Rabbit. California Sea Lion carcass continues on surge plain mudflats.
70 species (+6 other taxa)

Snow Goose  1     Associated with a group of 20 Cañada Geese in a flooded
field south of Twin Barns.
Greater White-fronted Goose (Western)  26     Along dike or Nisqually
Estuary Trail.
Cackling Goose (minima)  800
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  18
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  28
Northern Shoveler  75
Gadwall  14
Eurasian Wigeon  1     Observed in freshwater marsh.
American Wigeon  1200
Mallard  150
Northern Pintail  100
Green-winged Teal (American)  100
Ring-necked Duck  8
Surf Scoter  55
White-winged Scoter  1     Foraging with Surf Scoters in McAllister Creek.
Photos.
Bufflehead  100
Common Goldeneye  60
Hooded Merganser  4
Common Merganser (North American)  3     Nisqually River Overlook.
Red-breasted Merganser  6
Mourning Dove  2     Orchard.
American Coot (Red-shielded)  80
Killdeer  1
Semipalmated Plover  5     Previously reported winter residents. Observed
in surge plain. Photos.
Long-billed Dowitcher  12     Flooded field south of Twin Barns.
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  18
Dunlin  1400
Least Sandpiper  80
Short-billed Gull  115
Ring-billed Gull  35
Western Gull  1
California Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  10
Horned Grebe  1
Brandt's Cormorant  7     Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  15
Cooper's Hawk  2
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  11
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1
American Crow  200
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Barn Swallow (American)  2     Previously reported. Roosting in last years
nest in Visitor Center breezeway adjacent to administration office doorway.
Photos.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  7
Golden-crowned Kinglet  40
Brown Creeper  2
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group)  2
Marsh Wren  2
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  32
Hermit Thrush  1     Observed by Rob and Kelly on the inside of Twin Barns
Loop Trail just north of twin bench overlook before Twin Barn cut-off.
American Robin (migratorius Group)  25
House Finch  4
Red Crossbill  4     Fly over in parking lot.
Pine Siskin (Northern)  2
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  25
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  22
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  3
Red-winged Blackbird  34
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  4
Townsend's Warbler  1     Seen with a mixed flock of GCKI and BRCR along
the east side of Twin Barns Loop Trail in área of Beaver Deceiver.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S214481769
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