[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 1/15/2025.

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Dear Tweets,

Approximately thirty of us had another nice day of winter birding at the
Refuge with cloudy skies and temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees
Fahrenheit.  We skipped the Orchard in the morning as there was a High
15'1" Tide at 7:33am and a Low 7'3" Tide at 1:13pm.  Highlights included a
single immature SNOW GOOSE foraging with CACKLING GEESE adjacent to the
Twin Barns, AMERICAN KESTREL hunting from the BALD EAGLE nest tree next to
the Twin Barns, continuing SEMIPALMATED PLOVER in the surge plain north of
the Twin Barns, and a BARN SWALLOW foraging over the freshwater marsh on
the inside of the Nisqually Estuary Trail.

For the day we observed 72 species.  Notable mammals included River Otter
on the Riparian Forest Overlook Trail and three Little Brown Bats.  See our
eBird report pasted below.

I'll be away for the next few weeks, but Ken Brown, Pete Kilburn, Jim
Pruske, Ed Beck, and Rob Chrisler will continue to lead the walk with a
host of regulars, as we meet again at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at
8am next Wednesday.

Until then, happy birding and be well.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jan 15, 2025 7:44 AM - 4:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.463 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with temperatures in the
30’s to 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 15’1” Tide at 7:33am and a Low 7’3”
Tide at 1:13.  Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal,
River Otter, Little Brown Bat x 3.
72 species (+5 other taxa)

Snow Goose  1     Foraging with Cackling Geese adjacent to Twin Barns.
Greater White-fronted Goose (Western)  26     Adjacent to Nisqually Estuary
Trail, new dike.
Cackling Goose  300
Cackling Goose (minima)  50
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  360
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  10
Northern Shoveler  125
Gadwall  55
Eurasian Wigeon  2     Seen from McAllister Creek viewing platform.
American Wigeon  1000
Mallard  200
Northern Pintail  150
Green-winged Teal (American)  150
Ring-necked Duck  1     Visitor Center Pond.
Surf Scoter  40
White-winged Scoter  2     Nisqually Reach.
Bufflehead  80
Common Goldeneye  50
Hooded Merganser  2     McAllister Creek.
Common Merganser  3     Nisqually River Overlook.
Red-breasted Merganser  10     McAllister Creek.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  35
Virginia Rail  1     Freshwater marsh.
American Coot (Red-shielded)  75
Killdeer  25
Semipalmated Plover  5     Previously reported. Observed for 15 minutes on
mudflats of surge plain north of Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike north
of Twin Barns and west on Nisqually River. Spotted with spotting scopes,
foraging on mud. Small peep sized plover with single breast band.
Wilson's Snipe  1     Spotted by Heather in the flooded field across the
entrance road from the Orchard.
Spotted Sandpiper  2     West Bank of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Dunlin  1000
Least Sandpiper  5     Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Western Sandpiper  2     Observed in large flock of Dunlin with spotting
scope at 1/4 mile. Smaller then surrounding Dunlin with white throat and
shorter bill. Observed by multiple birders.
Short-billed Gull  40
Ring-billed Gull  80
Western Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  12
Horned Grebe  2
Common Loon  2
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  10
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  3
American Barn Owl  1     Spotted by Steve at dawn from the Twin Barns
Overlook.
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  2     Orchard.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Northern Flicker  3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1     Twin Barns.
Peregrine Falcon  1     Perched in tall Cottonwood in north east corner of
Twin Barns Loop Trail.
American Crow  125
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  8
Barn Swallow (American)  1     Observed flying and perched over freshwater
marsh. Swallow with dark iridescent blue back and dark throat. Spotted with
binoculars and scoped when perched. Seen at 50 feet to 300 feet.
Bushtit (Pacific)  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  20
Golden-crowned Kinglet  40
Brown Creeper  12
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group)  2
Marsh Wren  7
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group)  6
European Starling  30
American Robin  15
House Finch  4
Purple Finch (Western)  3
Pine Siskin  20
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  28
Lincoln's Sparrow  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike.
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  24

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S209453789
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