[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for
12/6/2023
Shep Thorp
shepthorp at gmail.com
Thu Dec 7 11:41:58 PST 2023
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 20 of us enjoyed a break in the rain for some nice late
Autumn birding at the Refuge with cloudy skies, temperatures in the 40's to
50's degrees Fahrenheit, and a High 13'6" Tide at 12:37pm. The Refuge
Biologist and their Team of Volunteers were performing a monthly bird
survey within the Sanctuary. There activity, along with hunting BALD
EAGLE, RED-TAILED HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, and MERLIN,
we observed large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds moving around the
Refuge. Highlights included PINE SISKIN in the Orchard, nice observation
of WILSON'S SNIPE along the Access Road and from the Twin Barns Overlook, a
showy VARIED THRUSH at the cut-off between the Twin Barns and Nisqually
Estuary Trail, high count of LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS in both the Estuary and
Freshwater Marsh, great looks of LINCOLN'S SPARROW across from the
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Entrance, perched LEAST SANDPIPER on the gum
weed at high tide at the end of the boardwalk, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in
the Maple Trees at the Twin Barns and east side of the Loop Trail, and
First of Year EVENING GROSBEAK heard just south of the Nisqually River
Overlook. See our eBird Report below with locations and click on the list
to check out photos.
For the day we observed 72 species, and with FOY Evening Grosbeak we have
now seen 173 species for the year. Mammals seen included Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion (in the Nisqually River), and
Columbian Black-tailed Deer.
A huge thank you to the Refuge Maintenance Department for clearing and
repairing the Twin Barns Loop Trail after fallen trees on Sunday. We are
fortunate and appreciative to have rapid attention to the trail system.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center, happy
birding!
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Dec 6, 2023 7:26 AM - 4:13 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.658 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with temperatures in the
40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 13’6” Tide at 12:37pm. Occasional
light rain. Mammals seen Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, California Sea
Lion and Columbian Black-tailed Deer.
72 species (+5 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 1200
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 100
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 13
Northern Shoveler 200
Gadwall 30
Eurasian Wigeon 3 Flooded field south of Twin Barns and Shannon Slough.
American Wigeon 2000
Mallard 150
Northern Pintail 800
Green-winged Teal (American) 900
Ring-necked Duck 6
Surf Scoter 8
Bufflehead 100
Common Goldeneye 20
Hooded Merganser 2
Common Merganser 1 Photo by Alex of male flying up McAllister Creek.
Red-breasted Merganser 4
Horned Grebe 2
Mourning Dove 1
American Coot (Red-shielded) 40
Long-billed Dowitcher 100
Wilson's Snipe 7 One along Access Road and six seen from Twin Barns
Observation Platform.
Greater Yellowlegs 35
Dunlin 600
Least Sandpiper 200
Western Sandpiper 1
Bonaparte's Gull 3
Short-billed Gull 60
Ring-billed Gull 70
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 8
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Larus sp. 50
Brandt's Cormorant 10 Nisqually River Channel Marker
Double-crested Cormorant 30
Great Blue Heron 25
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 20
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Heard between the Access Road and Entrance Road,
heard north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail in the surge plain area.
Photographed by Alex at 9:30am north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail across
from the Access Road cut-off to the Twin Barns. Seen in a snag in the
surge plain.
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 3 Picnic Area Twin Barns and East side of Twin
Barns Loop Trail.
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Northern Flicker 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
Merlin 1
American Crow 300
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 16
Brown Creeper 6
Pacific Wren 3
Marsh Wren 6
Bewick's Wren 3
European Starling 50
Varied Thrush 3 Parking Lot and Twin Barns
American Robin 15
American Pipit 7
Evening Grosbeak 1 Heard just south of the Nisqually River Overlook on
the outside of the old Nisqually River Dike.
House Finch 2 Twin Barns.
Purple Finch (Western) 1 Feeding on small crabapple fruit with
Golden-crowned Sparrows where Leschi Slough aqueduct goes under dike.
Pine Siskin 1 Orchard. Seen by some of our group.
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1 Orchard.
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 5 Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Golden-crowned Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 22
Lincoln's Sparrow 3 Nice views in freshwater marsh across from
entrance to Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Western Meadowlark 3 Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Red-winged Blackbird 60
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1 Education Center
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S155902824
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20231207/c4033dbe/attachment.html>
More information about the Tweeters
mailing list