[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 2/8/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Dear Tweets,

approximately 35 of us enjoyed a really nice day at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a High
14.4ft Tide at 7:41am and a Low 5.4ft Tide at 1:47pm, so we skipped the
Orchard and South Access Road in the morning to go chase the falling tide.
Highlights included hunting Coyote, FOY SEMIPALMATED PLOVER X 6 in the
surge plain, FOY SAVANNAH SPARROW along the dike, FOY BRANT GEESE on the
Nisqually Reach from the now open Puget Sound Viewing Platform, and great
looks of the adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, California type, from the Nisqually
Estuary Trail north of the Twin Barns along the long line of trees between
the Nisqually River and surge plain.

Starting out at the Visitor Center Overlook at 8am, we had great looks of
BUFFLEHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, and SONG SPARROW.  A large flock of 20+
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW forage the bramble on the west side of the west
parking lot.

The flooded fields on either side of the old McAllister Creek Access Road
were good for AMERICAN COOT, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN
WIGEON and GREEN-WINGED TEAL.  A Coyote was observed hunting voles/moles
along the far side of the field just south of the road.  It's nice to
observe this species without fear of being shot.

The west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail was great for PIED-BILLED GREBE,
GREAT BLUE HERON, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and PACIFIC WREN.  We were not
able to relocate the American Bittern which was seen over the weekend in
the slough next to the Twin Barns.  The Twin Barns Overlook was good for
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, SOOTY FOX SPARROW and additional waterfowl.

Out on the dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail we had additional nice sparrows
with heard and seen LINCOLN'S SPARROW and SAVANNAH SPARROW.  The Savannah
only showed briefly for some, and the Lincoln's remained very shy,
occasionally vocalizing with a buzzy zeep, and popping up for brief looks.
A group of predominantly Intergrade NORTHERN FLICKERS were frolicking in
the trees/snags/grass between the dike and the surge plain.  We had great
looks of WESTERN MEADOWLARK, NORTHERN HARRIER, and several BALD EAGLE.  In
the far right corner of the surge plain FOY SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER x 6 were
seen foraging on the mud flats.  West of Leschi Slough we had good viewing
of LEAST SANDPIPER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS.  A distant flock of 100+ DUNLIN
were reported by some, but did not fly in close enough for all to see.
Upwards of 3 WILSON SNIPE were observed roosting and foraging in the
freshwater marsh in grasses where waterfowl were roosting.

The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail is now open to the very end, or Puget
Sound Observation Platform.  This allowed us to get looks of FOY BRANT
GEESE on the Nisqually Reach.  We also had good scope views of WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER, COMMON LOON, and a couple of SCAUP.  Distant BRANDT'S CORMORANT and
PELAGIC CORMORANT could be seen on the Channel Marker at the mouth of the
Nisqually River.  The Boards along Shannon Slough and McAllister Creek were
great for SHORT-BILLED GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL,
WESTERN X GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED
MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SURF SCOTER and HORNED GREBE.  Good
numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON foraged the tidal estuary and we located two
male and one female EURASIAN WIGEON.  Tom located a SPOTTED SANDPIPER along
the west side of McAllister Creek.

On our return, Tom and Anders relocated the adult California type
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK in the long line of trees between the Nisqually River
and the surge plain that runs north-south from the Nisqually River Overlook
out to the old Ring Dike.  A photograph is embedded in our report.  I had
to peel off at this time for an appointment in Tacoma, so Jon started a
second list for the day.  COMMON MERGANSER were seen at the Nisqually River
Overlook as they stage here in late winter.

On there return the group picked up CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BROWN
CREEPER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, DOWNY WOODPECKER and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
along the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, the Orchard and the South
Access Road.

We observed 65 species for the day, and have seen 92 species for the year.
Mammals seen included COYOTE, EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, and HARBOR SEAL.  I've
been choosing a species to count weekly with a clicker, and this week I
counted American Green-winged Teal.  I only counted approximately 100 Teal
which seems really low to me.  Usually in the winter we will seen 1000-2000
GWTE on a Wednesday walk.  Perhaps they have moved out early or are having
a bad year, but I thought it was unusual to only count 100 GWTE on a Winter
Day walk at the Refuge.

Until next week, happy birding,
Shep


-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Feb 8, 2023 7:47 AM - 1:47 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.504 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Partly cloudy with temperatures in
the 30’s to 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 14.4ft Tide at 7:41am and a
high Low 5.4ft at 1:47pm. Mammals seen Coyote, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Harbor Seal.
58 species (+8 other taxa)

Brant  35
Cackling Goose (minima)  600
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  2
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  22
Northern Shoveler  100
Gadwall  40
Eurasian Wigeon  3
American Wigeon  700
Mallard  200
Northern Pintail  400
Green-winged Teal (American)  100
Ring-necked Duck  5
Greater/Lesser Scaup  2
Surf Scoter  25
White-winged Scoter  3
Bufflehead  125
Common Goldeneye  30
Hooded Merganser  2
Red-breasted Merganser  30
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  10
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5
American Coot (Red-shielded)  125
Semipalmated Plover  6     Observed at a 1/4 mile with 60x spotting scope
foraging on mud flats in the south east corner of the surge plain. Observed
by many. Peep sized plover with one collar band on neck. Observed for 15
minutes.
Dunlin  100
Least Sandpiper  70
Wilson's Snipe  3
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  20
Short-billed Gull  100
Ring-billed Gull  50
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  5
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Larus sp.  150
Common Loon  6
Brandt's Cormorant  12
Pelagic Cormorant  1
Double-crested Cormorant  25
Great Blue Heron  25
Northern Harrier  2
Accipiter sp.  1
Bald Eagle  15
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  2
Northern Flicker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  4
American Crow  125
Black-capped Chickadee  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Pacific Wren  2
Marsh Wren  3
Bewick's Wren  2
European Starling  25
American Robin  30
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Savannah Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  25
Lincoln's Sparrow  2
Spotted Towhee  2
Western Meadowlark  1
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  20

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S127915412

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
8 Feb, 2023 1:48 PM - 4:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.55 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Finished the Wednesday Walk route from the Twin
Barns to the River Overlook, then south on the east side of the boardwalk
loop to the Orchard, and looped back to the parking lots via the gravel
service road.  Did not re-count waterfowl from the service road Green Gate
where we started this morning.  Clouds breaking up, light south breeze, and
47 °F.
22 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  8     East side boardwalk loop
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  9     Service road south pond
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  4     River overlook
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  4     River overlook
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  6     River overlook
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4     River overlook
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  1     * Continuing adult seen from
the dike north of the Twin Barns.  Bird perched in snags along the river.
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) (Buteo jamaicensis calurus/alascensis)
 2     Pale immature near the twin barns and dark adult west of the visitor
center parking lot
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) (Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  6
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  9
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  7
Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus)  2
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2     One 'piebald' female in the
orchard
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) (Passerella iliaca [unalaschcensis Group])  1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)  12
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) (Pipilo maculatus [oregonus Group])  4
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) (Leiothlypis celata lutescens)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S127906777
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