[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 2/22/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 20 of us bundled up and enjoyed a cold and windy day at the
Refuge with temperatures in the 30 degrees Fahrenheit and a very chilly
breeze from the north making birding on the dike and estuary boardwalk a
challenge.  There was a High 15.3ft Tide at 7:14am, so I had the not so
well thought out idea of skipping the Orchard and Access Road Fields in the
morning to chase the falling tide.  Getting out to the dike to enjoy the
waters edge did not work out well as we needed to split our group into
extreme birders and comfortable birders.  Highlights for the day included
FOY EARED GREBE in McAllister Creek north of the McAllister Creek
Observation Platform.  COOPER'S HAWK eating a GREEN-WINGED TEAL on the old
McAllister Creek Access Road that is restricted sanctuary.  Male and Female
EURASIAN WIGEON in flooded field south of the old McAllister Creek Access
Road.  Good numbers of COMMON MERGANSER seen from the Nisqually River
Observation Platform.  And a reliable RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in the Pear
Tree by the Technician Building in the Orchard Area.  Please see eBird list
pasted.

Visitor Center Pond: RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE,
BUFFLEHEAD.

Flooded Fields: NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL,
AMERICAN and EURASIAN WIGEON, AMERICAN COOT, MALLARD, RED-TAILED HAWK,
COOPER'S HAWK.

West side of Twin Barns Loop Trail: FOX SPARROW, HAIRY WOODPECKER,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PACIFIC WREN.

Dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail: DUNLIN, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, BALD EAGLE,
NORTHERN HARRIER, GREAT BLUE HERON, CACKLING GEESE.

Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail: COMMON GOLDENEYE, SURF SCOTER,
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE, EARED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT, AMERICAN WIGEON, EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, BRANT GEESE, LEAST SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER,
SHORT-BILLED GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, GLAUCOUS WINGED/WESTERN GULL, BRANDT'S
CORMORANT.

Nisqually River Overlook: COMMON MERGANSER.

North/East Twin Barns Loop Trail: BROWN CREEPER, CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEE,
PACIFIC WREN, RED-TAILED HAWK.

Orchard: ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.

We observed 60 species for the day, with FOY Eared Grebe we now have seen
99 species for the year.  After the walk I went out to unsuccessfully
twitch the EAGR, and located a male American Green-winged Teal X Eurasian
Green-winged Teal Intergrade in Shannon Slough south of the Observation
Tower or start of the Estuary Boardwalk Trail.

Mammals seen included Eastern Gray Squirrel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer
and Harbor Seal.

Until next week when we meet again at 8am, happy birding,
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Feb 22, 2023 7:10 AM - 12:16 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cold, cloudy and breezy with
temperatures in the 30’s degree Fahrenheit.  A High 15.3ft Tide at 7:14 am
and a Low 3.4ft Tide at 1:26pm.  Mammals seen Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Columbian Black-tailed Deer, and Harbor Seal.  The dike was cold and windy
making birding challenging.  I, Shep, elected to turn the group back
towards the Riparian Forest at Leschi Slough to keep the group intact.  Ken
Brown and James Horan were the only two of the group to go all the way
out.  Matt Curtis went as far as the McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
This is a consolidated list.
60 species (+5 other taxa)

Brant (Black)  8     Seen from the Puget Sound Observation Platform
Cackling Goose (minima)  1200
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  85
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  8
Northern Shoveler  50
Gadwall  25
Eurasian Wigeon  3     Two observed in the flooded field west of the west
side parking lot and south of the old McAllister Creek Access Road which is
now restricted.
American Wigeon  300
Mallard  150
Northern Pintail  200
Green-winged Teal  50
Ring-necked Duck  7     Visitor Center Pond
Surf Scoter  15     Shannon Slough, Confluence of Slough and McAllister
Creek, McAllister Creek.
Bufflehead  82
Common Goldeneye  44     Confluence, McAllister Creek and Nisqually River
Overlook.
Hooded Merganser  6     Visitor Center Pond
Common Merganser  12     Nisqually River Overlook
Red-breasted Merganser  75     McAllister Creek
Pied-billed Grebe  1     Visitor Center Pond
Horned Grebe  2     McAllister Creek.
Eared Grebe  1     Observed in McAllister Creek on a high tide just north
of the McAllister Creek Observation Platform.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5     Twin Barns and Light Post at Entrance Gate
Anna's Hummingbird  1     Orchard
American Coot  50
Killdeer  2     Slough along entrance Road
Dunlin  200
Least Sandpiper  80
Spotted Sandpiper  2     West side of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs  35
Short-billed Gull  50
Ring-billed Gull  25
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  40
Brandt's Cormorant  9     Channel Marker at mouth of Nisqually River
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron  30
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  1     Old McAllister Creek Access Road in restricted area
beyond green gate.
Bald Eagle  10
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1     Orchard
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1     West side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
between Twin Barns Cut-off and double bench observation platform south.
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  3
American Crow  150
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  8
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  1
Bewick's Wren  5
European Starling  10
Varied Thrush  1     Orchard
American Robin  50
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow  20
Spotted Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler  12     Along southern Access Road and around Visitor
Center Pond.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S129391228

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