[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 3/5/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 31 of us had a beautiful first Wednesday of March walk at the
Refuge with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s degrees
Fahrenheit.  There was High 14’2” Tide at 8:42 am so we did our routine
walk.   Highlights included an active mixed feeding flock of both Kinglets,
both Chickadees, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, both variety of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,
DOWNY WOODPECKER and RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in the parking lot at the
entrance to the Education Center; First of Year RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD seen
around the Orchard and the Twin Barns cut-off from the Twin Barns Loop
Trail; First of Year VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW from the Twin Barns Observation
Platform; WESTERN MEADOWLARK seen north of the dike next to Leschi Slough
where the channel runs parallel to the dike; upwards of 3 EURASIAN WIGEON
mixed in with AMERICAN WIGEON in the freshwater marsh and from the
McAllister Creek Viewing Platform, and 2 LESSER SCAUP in McAllister Creek.

For the day we observed 74 species, see our eBird Report below with
additional details.

Mammals seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend's Chipmunk,
Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.  Others seen included Red-eared
Slider, and Northwestern Salamander Egg Clusters.

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

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

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Mar 5, 2025 7:47 AM - 4:13 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.283 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Mostly sunny with temperatures in
the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit.  A High 14’2” Tide at 8:42am. Mammals
seen include Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Harbor Seal. Other seen Red-eared Slider, Northwestern Salamander
egg clusters.
74 species (+5 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose (Western)  26
Brant (Black)  50     Nisqually Reach.
Cackling Goose (minima)  500
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  30
Northern Shoveler  125
Gadwall  20
Eurasian Wigeon  4     Freshwater marsh and McAllister Creek Observation
Platform.
American Wigeon  600
Mallard  126
Northern Pintail  200
Green-winged Teal (American)  375
Ring-necked Duck  8     Visitor Center Pond Overlook.
Lesser Scaup  2     McAllister Creek.
Surf Scoter  12
Bufflehead  150
Common Goldeneye  40
Hooded Merganser  6
Common Merganser  5
Red-breasted Merganser  9
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  6
Rufous Hummingbird  2     Entrance road adjacent to Orchard and cut-off
from Twin Barns Loop Trail to Twin Barns.
hummingbird sp.  1
American Coot  125
Killdeer  4
Spotted Sandpiper  3     McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Dunlin  700
Least Sandpiper  25
Short-billed Gull  150
Ring-billed Gull  40
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  50
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Horned Grebe  1
Brandt's Cormorant  6     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Pelagic Cormorant  1     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  25
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  21
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  30
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  2     Orchard.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  4
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  4
Peregrine Falcon  2
Steller's Jay (Coastal)  1
American Crow  12
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  18
Tree Swallow  150
Violet-green Swallow  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  30
Golden-crowned Kinglet  40
Brown Creeper  3
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group)  3
Marsh Wren  16
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group)  8
European Starling  30
Varied Thrush  2
American Robin (migratorius Group)  30
House Finch  6
Pine Siskin (Northern)  60
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  1
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  39
Lincoln's Sparrow  3     North of dike.
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  4
Western Meadowlark  1     North of dike along Leschi Slough.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  20
Townsend's Warbler  4     Orchard.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S216822812
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