[Tweeters] Informal Wednesday Walk, Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, 2/9/2022

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

another beautiful day at the Refuge with sunny skies, temperature in the
40's-50's and a High 12ft Tide at 11:00am.  Highlights included relocating
the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL along the trail, Eurasian GREEN-WINGED TEAL in
the flooded field south of the Twin Barns, NORTHERN SHRIKE from the Twin
Barns Overlook and two species of loon, RED-THROATED and COMMON, in
McAllister Creek.  The hunting closure is over, and the entire boardwalk or
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail is now open.  We observed 69 species for
the day, and have seen 94 species for the year.  eBird list attached, with
descriptions and embedded photos.

Happy birding,
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Feb 9, 2022 7:48 AM - 4:32 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.67 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 40’s
to 50’s degree Fahrenheit with a High 12.62 Tide at 11:07am.  Mammals seen
Mink, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and
Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit.
69 species (+8 other taxa)

Brant  54
Cackling Goose (minima)  500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  100
Canada Goose  6
Northern Shoveler  200
Gadwall  25
Eurasian Wigeon  2
American Wigeon  500
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)  1
Mallard  300
Northern Pintail  400
Green-winged Teal  600
Green-winged Teal (Eurasian)  1     Observed at 50 yards with 10x
binoculars and 40 x spotting scope for 15 minutes foraging in flooded field
with other American Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Northern
Pintail. Distinctive male with bold horizontal white line between folded
wing and side. No vertical white line on shoulder. White outline around
green eyepatch. Observed by many in the group. Photos taken.
Ring-necked Duck  10
Surf Scoter  20
Bufflehead  250
Common Goldeneye  50
Hooded Merganser  3
Common Merganser  7
Red-breasted Merganser  20
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  2
Western Grebe  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  21
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  4
Virginia Rail  1
American Coot  50
Killdeer  3
Dunlin  2500
Least Sandpiper  40
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  4
Greater Yellowlegs  18
Short-billed Gull  50
Ring-billed Gull  75
Western Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  5
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  35
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  50
Larus sp.  200
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  2
Brandt's Cormorant  3
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Great Blue Heron  30
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  10
Red-shouldered Hawk  2     Two previously reported and seen. Adult
California type vocalizing and hunting along the central access road
between the Twin Barns and the McAllister Creek Access Road in the
restricted sanctuary. Juvenile bird observed along the McAllister Creek
Access Road just east of new dike in the restricted Sanctuary.
Red-tailed Hawk  5
Northern Saw-whet Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-breasted Sapsucker  4
Downy Woodpecker  4
Northern Flicker  4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1
Northern Shrike  1
American Crow  100
Common Raven  5
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Bushtit  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  8
Golden-crowned Kinglet  25
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  2
Marsh Wren  4
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  150
American Robin  30
Purple Finch  1
Fox Sparrow  3
Golden-crowned Sparrow  40
Song Sparrow  40
Spotted Towhee  4
Red-winged Blackbird  40
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S102360660

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
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