[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 1/8/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately forty of us had a really nice winter day of birding at the
Refuge with temperatures in the 40's degrees Fahrenheit and a High 14'9"
Tide at 11:40am.  The Refuge held its Volunteer Appreciation Lunch between
11:30a-1:30pm, so myself, Ken Brown, Pete Kilburn, Jim Pruske and Heather
Saunders peeled off to celebrate.  Jon Anderson and a group of regulars
continued to lead the group with our regular route for the walk.
Highlights included BARN OWL seen from the Twin Barns Overlook shortly
after 7am, RINGED-NECK DUCK in the flooded field south of the restricted
old McAllister Creek Access Road, an immature male PEREGRINE FALCON with a
full crop perched in a large Cottonwood Tree north of the north side of the
Twin Barns Loop Trail, twenty LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS in the flooded field
adjacent to the Twin Barns Overlook, twenty-six GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
along the Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike, five SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS
and first year HERRING GULL in the surge plane, and a continuing GREAT
HORNED OWL spotted by Eric on the inside of the east side Twin Barns Loop
Trail about fifty feet south of the Beaver Deceiver.

We observed 71 species for the day, see our eBird list pasted below with
details and embedded photos.

It was also a good mammal day with River Otters seen in McAllister Creek
and five Little Brown Bats foraging around the Twin Barns and the Visitor
Center.

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
Jan 8, 2025 6:45 AM - 3:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Cloudy in the morning, sunny in
the afternoon. Temperatures in the 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 14’9”
Tide at 11:40am. Mammals seen are Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion,
River Otter and Little Brown Bat (5 seen).
71 species (+5 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  26     Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike.
Cackling Goose (minima)  900
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  10
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  48
Northern Shoveler  80
Gadwall  56
Eurasian Wigeon  2     Seen from Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
American Wigeon  925
Mallard  90
Northern Pintail  125
Green-winged Teal  120
Ring-necked Duck  3     Seen in flooded field south of the old McAllister
Creek Access Road
Surf Scoter  48     McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach
White-winged Scoter  2     Nisqually Reach, scoped from closure gate on
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Bufflehead  101
Common Goldeneye  35
Hooded Merganser  5     Visitor Center Pond.
Common Merganser  3     Nisqually River Overlook
Red-breasted Merganser  30     McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  35     Entrance gate.
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Virginia Rail  2     Twin Barns Overlook and freshwater marsh.
American Coot (Red-shielded)  50
Semipalmated Plover  5     Previously reported. Photos. Observed on surge
plain north of Nisqually Estuary Trail north of Twin Bars and west of
Nisqually River. Small peep sized plover with single breast band.
Long-billed Dowitcher  20     Twin Barns Overlook.
Spotted Sandpiper  1     West bank of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  38
Dunlin  950
Least Sandpiper  75
Short-billed Gull  20
Ring-billed Gull  90
American Herring Gull  1     Immature bird eating deceased Sea Lion on
surge plain.  Photo.  Pink bill with black tip, pencil shaped bill, lighter
head then GWGU, black wing tips.
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  3
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  2
gull sp.  200
Pied-billed Grebe  1     Flooded field south of old McAllister Creek Access
Road.
Horned Grebe  2     Nisqually Reach
Common Loon  1     Nisqually Reach
Brandt's Cormorant  8     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  27
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  24
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  3
American Barn Owl  2     Observed between 7am and 7:20am from the Twin
Barns Overlook flying into the Twin Barns
Great Horned Owl  1     Observed roosting and preening in riparian forest
inside the Twin Barns Loop Trail.  Spotted from the east side of the loop
trail approximately 50 feet south of the Beaver Deceiver by Eric.  There is
a deciduous tree with orange fungus along the borrow slough in the
foreground of where the owl is roosting.  Well camouflaged, the owl was
approximately 4-5 trees behind the deciduous tree with orange fungus.
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1     Orchard.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  4
Hairy Woodpecker  1     West side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  3
Merlin  1     Possibly two birds.  Seen along Twin Barns Loop Trail and
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Peregrine Falcon  1     Perched.  Full crop.
American Crow  251
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  15
Golden-crowned Kinglet  27
Brown Creeper  5
Pacific Wren  3
Marsh Wren  12
Bewick's Wren  3
European Starling  65
Varied Thrush  1     Orchard.
American Robin  24
House Finch  8
Pine Siskin  200
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  32
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  26
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  3
Western Meadowlark  1     Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  16
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  1     Nisqually Estuary Trail or new
dike.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S208562976
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