[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Wednesday Walk 7/13/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

A really nice summer's day at the Refuge with cloudy skies in the morning
and sunny skies in the afternoon and temperatures in the 60's-70's degrees
Fahrenheit.  We had a huge tide swing with a Low -4.15ft Tide at 11:55am
and a High 14.5ft Tide at 7:31pm.  So I split my day birding the Orchard,
Twin Barns Loop Trail and dike in the morning, and returned at 4:30pm to
bird the dike and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail in the late afternoon
and evening.  Highlights included numerous baby birds, WILSON'S SNIPE in
the freshwater marsh, autumnal return of shorebirds including SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER, continuing AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and breeding plumage RED-NECKED
GREBE.

The Visitor Center Pond Overlook continues to have good looks of WOOD DUCKS
with ducklings and nesting BARN SWALLOW.  The Parking Lot had a pair of
juvenile HAIRY WOODPECKER, a few BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, and ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD.

Overall, there are abundant sightings and vocalizations of YELLOW WARBLER,
SWAINSON'S THRUSH, CEDAR WAXWING, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

The Orchard was good for PURPLE FINCH, BAND-TAILED PIGEON, MORNING DOVE,
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, and WILLOW FLYCATCHER.  There is a WARBLING VIREO
breeding pair near the technician building.  A WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE breeding
pair and nest over the restricted area access road south of the Orchard.
We had a fly over of a flock of CANADA GEESE with a single CACKLING GOOSE
which was out of season and unexpected.

The Access Road was good for CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BEWICKS WREN,
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - feeding young, and RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.  Numerous TREE
SWALLOWS foraged over the fields.

The Twin Barns Loop Trail had a Long-tailed Weasel at the entrance.  The
west side had nice looks of WILLOW FLYCATCHER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, PINE
SISKIN, PURPLE FINCH, WOOD DUCK, BUSHTIT, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and DOWNY
WOODPECKER.  At the first double bench overlook a Wood Duck hen chased off
a Mink pursuing ducklings.

The Twin Barns Overlook and nice views of BAND-TAILED PIGEON, WILLOW
FLYCATCHER, TREE SWALLOW and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.

The new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail provided nice sightings of WILSON'S
SNIPE in the morning.  We had quick flyovers of WESTERN SANDPIPER, GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, and KILLDEER.

The Nisqually River Overlook was quiet.  We had great sightings of a
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER at the Riparian Forest Overlook.  As well an
AMERICAN ROBIN was observed feeding a frog to nestlings just west of the
observation platform.

On our return at 4:30pm, we had a nice tidal push along the Nisqually
Estuary Trail with good sightings of SAVANNAH SPARROW, LEAST SANDPIPER and
WESTERN SANDPIPER.  A single SEMIPALMATED PLOVER called and was seen
adjacent to the dike in beautiful breeding plumage.

The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was great for gulling, with many
birds adjacent to or on the boardwalk for great looks of RING-BILLED GULL,
CALIFORNIA GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WESTERN X GLAUCOUS-WINGED HYBRID
(OLYMPIC) GULL, and a continuing SHORT-BILLED GULL second year bird.  We
observed numerous CASPIAN TERNS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, and DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS.  Along the way numerous swallow perches provided perched looks
at BANK SWALLOW, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, along with CLIFF SWALLOW,
BARN SWALLOW, TREE SWALLOW and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.  At the Puget Sound
Observation Platform or end of the boardwalk we had great looks of SPOTTED
SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, and LEAST SANDPIPER.  An unexpected
RED-NECKED GREBE foraged within scoping distance on the Reach.  We counted
upwards of 25 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS at the mouth of the Nisqually.
Numerous Cliff Swallows are nesting in the covered observation decks.
Nesting PURPLE MARTIN were seen off Luhr Beach.  Osprey hunted the estuary
on the high tide.

On our return a single NORTHERN PINTAIL eclipse male was observed flying
into the freshwater marsh.

We observed 70 species for the day, and have seen 155 species for the year
with Red-necked Grebe being new for the year.  Mammals seen included
Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Long-tailed Weasel, Muskrat, Mink, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal and Townsend's Chipmunk.  We heard several
Coyotes calling in the morning.

Until next week, happy birding.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
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