[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 12/28/2022 - last walk '22 and Summary

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Over 24 of us had a very nice day at the Refuge with cloudy skies,
occasional light rain and sun breaks, and temperatures in the 40's degrees
Fahrenheit.  There was a High 15.3 King Tide at 10:05am.  Highlights
included a visual of VIRGINIA RAILS on the west side of the Twin Barns Loop
Trail before the Twin Barns cut-off, an Accipiter Show in the Maple Tree
Grove around the Twin Barns with both SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and COOPER'S HAWK
chasing a flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and Sparrows, AMERICAN BITTERN in the
slough adjacent to the Twin Barns Overlook, and four WESTERN SANDPIPER
mixed in with the DUNLIN and LEAST SANDPIPER along the Nisqually Estuary
Trail and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.  The lame one legged WESTERN
SANDPIPER (photos embedded) continues in the area at the start of the
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.

Starting out at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook, we had great looks
of RING-NECKED DUCK.

The Orchard was good for RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in the fruit trees near the
Technician Building.

The flooded fields along the Access Road were good for all Waterfowl, many
Shorebirds, and BALD EAGLE with the incoming King Tide.  A dark morph all
brown RED-TAILED HAWK has been regularly seen near the south east corner.

Great looks of two VIRGINIA RAIL were seen on the inside of the west side
of the Twin Barns Loop Trail just before the Twin Barns cut-off.  A large
flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH plus all expected Sparrow species were in the
area attracting three Accipiters into the Maple Grove adjacent to the Twin
Barns.  We had nice looks of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and COOPER'S HAWK in aerial
pursuit of little birds and each other.

The Twin Barns Overlook picked up an EURASIAN WIGEON roosting with other
AMERICAN WIGEON.  A gorgeous AMERICAN BITTERN was seen in the slough
adjacent to the Twin Barns.

The tidal push provided great looks for all Waterfowl, Shorebirds, and
Raptors.  We observed upward of four WESTERN SANDPIPER mixed in with DUNLIN
and LEAST SANDPIPER.  A lame one legged WESTERN SANDPIPER continues in the
area of the start of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.  Last week we
had approximately 15 BAEA, this week we had close to 30 indicating to me
that the Chum Salmon may be heading into the Nisqually River.

We observed 69 species for the day, and have seen 271 species for the
year.  Mammals seen included Coyote, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion, and Steller's Sea Lion on
the wreck between Red Salmon Slough and Dupont.  See eBird list pasted
below.

Usually the Wednesday Walk see's approximately 270 species in a year, with
each year being different - some missed sightings and unexpected finds.

*Unexpected Sightings for the Wednesday Walk in 2022*:
CALIFORNIA QUAIL - in decline
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - becoming more regular
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - becoming less regular
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL - hard to find along established trails
RED-EYED VIREO
SWAMP SPARROW
COMMON REDPOLL - nomadic
LESSER GOLDFINCH


*Missed Sightings for the Wednesday Walk seen by other eBirders at Refuge
in 2022*:
TUNDRA SWAN
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE - not usually seen on Refuge, but regular off Luhr Beach
PACIFIC LOON
EARED GREBE
FRANKLIN'S GULL
HEERMANN'S GULL
ICELAND GULL
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
LONG-BILLED CURLEW
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
GREAT EGRET
RUFFED GROUSE
SHORT-EARED OWL
COMMON NIGHTHAWK
BLACK SWIFT
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER
EASTERN KINGBIRD
GRAY CATBIRD
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE
HOUSE WREN
CHIPPING SPARROW
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
HOUSE SPARROW - prefers closer proximity to feeders.
EVENING GROSBEAK
RED CROSSBILL - usually a flyover.
LAZULI BUNTING
BOBOLINK
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD - doesn't like to cross the highway into the delta.

*Missed sightings at Nisqually by Wednesday Walk AND eBirders for 2022*:
BLACK SCOTER - in decline.
COMMON MURRE - tough to scope
MARBLED MURRELET - tough to scope
WILLET
BARN OWL
LAPLAND LONGSPUR

Let me know if there is something I've missed!  Happy New Year one and
all.  May your first sighting of the year be intriguing, and happy birding.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Dec 28, 2022 7:41 AM - 3:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.659 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with occasional light rain,
temperature in the 40’s degrees Fahrenheit.  A High 15.3 Tide at 10:05am.
Mammals seen Coyote, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lion.
69 species (+6 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  750
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  15
Canada Goose  25
Northern Shoveler  150
Gadwall  50
Eurasian Wigeon  1
American Wigeon  750
Mallard  200
Northern Pintail  250
Green-winged Teal (American)  750
Ring-necked Duck  15
Greater Scaup  1
Surf Scoter  6
Bufflehead  200
Common Goldeneye  75
Hooded Merganser  5
Red-breasted Merganser  5
Horned Grebe  3
Red-necked Grebe  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  18
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Virginia Rail  2
American Coot  40
Dunlin  300
Least Sandpiper  40
Western Sandpiper  4     Previously reported. Photos. Larger than area
Least Sandpiper, and smaller than Dunlin. A peep sized shorebird with
lighter head and white throat in comparison to Least Sandpiper and Dunlin.
Dark legs. Moderate sized bill longer than LESA, less finely tipped,
decurved, and shorter than Dunlin bill.  Two birds closely associated with
the flock of Dunlin, one bird closely associated with LESA, and a one
legged bird loosely associated with LESA near the start of the Estuary
Boardwalk Trail. The one legged WESA has been previously seen, reported and
photographed - photographed here.
Long-billed Dowitcher  25
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Short-billed Gull  50
Ring-billed Gull  75
Glaucous-winged Gull  5
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  10
Larus sp.  150
Common Loon  1
Brandt's Cormorant  9
Double-crested Cormorant  10
cormorant sp.  2
American Bittern  1
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  2
Bald Eagle  30
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  150
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet  15
Brown Creeper  4
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  3
Bewick's Wren  2
European Starling  100
American Robin  15
Purple Finch  3
American Goldfinch  40
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  4
White-crowned Sparrow  4
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow  20
Spotted Towhee  3
Western Meadowlark  3
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  11

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S124854708
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