[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr NWR for 10/22/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 30 of us had a really nice Fall day at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit and mostly cloudy skies
with intermittent sun and light rain.  There was a High 12'10" Tide at
7:28am and a Low 6'2" Tide at 1pm.  Highlights included BARN OWL seen at
the Twin Barns Observation Platform at 7:15am by Steve, PILEATED WOODPECKER
seen in the Orchard in the morning, a nice raptor show with PEREGRINE
FALCON X 2/MERLIN/AMERICAN KESTREL-male/NORTHERN HARRIER-one male, AMERICAN
BITTERN flying over the freshwater marsh, hybrid AMERICAN X EURASIAN WIGEON
spotted by Laurie on the mudflats, continuing WHIMBREL near the McAllister
Creek Viewing Platform, nice views from the closure gate on the Nisqually
Estuary Boardwalk Trail including First Of Year PARASITIC JAEGER harassing
some SHORT-BILLED GULLs on the reach near Anderson Island, PECTORAL
SANDPIPER with KILLDEER in the surge plain on our return at 2pm, and First
Of Year HOUSE SPARROW spotted by Heather in the Orchard.

For the day we observed 81 species, with FOY Parasitic Jaeger and House
Sparrow, we now have seen 175 species so far this year.  See eBird Report
pasted below.

It was a nice wildlife day with sightings of Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit,
Harbor Seal, Mink, Townsend's Chipmunk, Douglas Squirrel, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Coyote, Pacific Chorus Frog, Red-legged Frog and Puget Sound
Garter Snake.  Some interesting mushrooms as well.

Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, enjoy Fall in to Birding, ;-).

Shep


-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 22, 2025 7:41 AM - 4:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.032 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy, intermittent sun
breaks and light rain. Temperatures in the 40’s-50’s degrees. A Low 6’2”
Tide at 1:00pm. Others seen Harbor Seal, Mink, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Coyote, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Pacific Chorus
Frog, Red-legged Frog, Puget Sound Garter Snake.
81 species (+4 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  300
Wood Duck  2     Visitor Center Pond
Northern Shoveler  6
Gadwall  1     Visitor Center Pond
American Wigeon  500
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)  1     Spotted by Laurie, mixed in with
large group of AMWI north of dike on mudflats west of Leschi Slough. Red
head with green eyepatch. Blended gray and red sides. Very prominent white
coverts of wing and white horizontal line between side and folded wing on
swimming bird.
Mallard  150
Northern Pintail  700
Green-winged Teal (American)  1000
Surf Scoter  30     McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach
Common Merganser  3     Spotted by Anders flying over the Refuge and
flushed from Nisqually River by boat.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  45
Band-tailed Pigeon  1     Seen in the morning. Flying over Ed Center
parking lot.
Mourning Dove  2     Flying over dike.
Anna's Hummingbird  1     Orchard.
Virginia Rail  2     Visitor Center Pond and Freshwater Marsh.
Black-bellied Plover  10     Surge plain. Could not observe any yellow-tan
juveniles.
Killdeer  32
Whimbrel  1     Continuing rarity. Photo.  McAllister Creek Platform.
Long-billed Dowitcher  35
Wilson's Snipe  1     Fly over dike south of green closure gate.
Spotted Sandpiper  1     West Bank of McAllister Creek
Greater Yellowlegs  15
Dunlin  250
Least Sandpiper  100
Pectoral Sandpiper  1     Surge plain seen at 2:00pm during low tide with
large group of Killdeers and a few BBPL and DUNL.
Western Sandpiper  6
Parasitic Jaeger  1     Observed harassing two gulls closer to Anderson
Island across the reach from the closure gate. Dark bird similar size to
gulls with pointed wings and white flashes in proximal primaries. Behavior
and wing pattern consistent with PAJA. Observed for 30 seconds with 60’s
spotting scope.
Rhinoceros Auklet  14     Gray fast flying alcids with white belly,
relative large flat head with dark throat and chest. Minimal rocking back
and forth in flight.
Short-billed Gull  3
Ring-billed Gull  150
California Gull  1     Spotted by Janel on Nisqually Boardwalk Trail.
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Horned Grebe  1     Scoped by Janel on Nisqually Reach from closure gate.
Western Grebe  1     Scoped by Ken at mouth of McAllister Creek from
closure gate.
Red-throated Loon  1     Scoped by Jon on Reach from closure gate.
Common Loon  2
Brandt's Cormorant  11     Channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  40
American Bittern  1     Spotted twice, once by Ken and again by Steve.
Flushed and flew over the freshwater marsh.
Great Blue Heron  25
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  8
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Barn Owl  1     Spotted by Steve at Twin Barns Observation
Platform at 7:15am.
Belted Kingfisher  3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1     Spotted by Tim, Samara and Robin in the Orchard
in the morning.
Northern Flicker  4
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  2
American Kestrel (Northern)  1
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  2
American Crow  100
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  21
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  8
Bushtit (Pacific)  15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  15
Golden-crowned Kinglet  15
Brown Creeper  4
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group)  8
Marsh Wren  8
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group)  4
European Starling  200
Varied Thrush  1     Heard only on the inside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.
American Robin  53
Cedar Waxwing  8
House Sparrow  1     FOY!  Spotted by Heather in the Orchard
American Pipit  3
House Finch  3
Purple Finch  4
American Goldfinch  6
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  3
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  1
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  27
Lincoln's Sparrow  1     Spotted by Jim off dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee  6
Western Meadowlark  2
Red-winged Blackbird  50

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S280967600
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