[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, 6/28/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 30 of us had a beautiful day at the Refuge with mostly sunny
skies and temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a
Low 1'5" Tide at 8:41am and a High 9'8" Tide at 3:28pm, so we did our usual
walk which gave us a really nice tidal push and water line in the
afternoon, but no early autumnal migrating shorebirds were observed.
Highlights included continuing singing Red-eyed Vireo in the Cottonwoods
around the maintenance yard, many breeding birds in the Orchard and
Riparian Woods on the Twin Barns Loop Trail, numerous fledglings and
juveniles - Hooded Merganser/Common Merganser/Wood Duck/Bald Eagle/Barn
Swallow/Tree Swallow/Rufous Hummingbird, and a nice morning chorus.  We
were not able to relocate the juvenile Great Horned Owls which have been
recently reported in the area of the Riparian Forest cut-off on the east
side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.

We observed 64 species for the day, nothing new for the year, and have seen
143 species this year.  Mammals seen included Townsend's Chipmunk, Douglas
Fir Squirrel, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Long-tailed Weasel, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, 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
Jun 28, 2023 7:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.211 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Partly cloudy with temperatures in
the 50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 1’5” Tide at 8:41am and a High
9’8” Tide at 3:28pm. Mammals seen Townsend’s Chipmunk, Douglas Fir
Squirrel, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Long-tailed Weasel, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, and Harbor Seal.
64 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  60
Wood Duck  15
Blue-winged Teal  1     Freshwater Marsh
Gadwall  1
Mallard  100
Green-winged Teal (American)  1
Hooded Merganser  12
Common Merganser  11     Nisqually River Overlook.
Pied-billed Grebe  1     Freshwater Marsh
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  6
Band-tailed Pigeon  8
Mourning Dove  3     Orchard
Vaux's Swift  1
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Rufous Hummingbird  5
Virginia Rail  2
Killdeer  4
Wilson's Snipe  3
Ring-billed Gull  100
California Gull  200
Glaucous-winged Gull  15
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Caspian Tern  30
Brandt's Cormorant  4     Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  40
Great Blue Heron  30
Bald Eagle  15     Young in nest in Cottonwood Tree along West Bank of
Nisqually River north of Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Red-breasted Sapsucker  4
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Northern Flicker  2
Western Wood-Pewee  9
Willow Flycatcher  10
Pacific-slope Flycatcher  2
Warbling Vireo  2
Red-eyed Vireo  1     Heard near Maintenance Yard and south of Riparian
Forest Observation Platform cut-off from east side of Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Steller's Jay  2
American Crow  6
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  12
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  12     Nesting in cavity in large Maple Tree
adjacent to Twin Barns cut-off from Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Purple Martin  6     Luhr Beach
Tree Swallow  30
Violet-green Swallow  2
Bank Swallow  10     Three to four seen over flooded fields south of Twin
Barns. Two groups of three birds foraging over the fresh water marsh.
Barn Swallow  40     Nesting in Visitor Center breezeway.
Cliff Swallow  15     Mud huts in Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Bushtit  30     Orchard.
Brown Creeper  6     East side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
Marsh Wren  15
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  100
Swainson's Thrush  41
American Robin  20
Cedar Waxwing  12
House Finch  2
Purple Finch  6
American Goldfinch  20
Savannah Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  38
Spotted Towhee  3
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
Common Yellowthroat  9
Yellow Warbler  35     Orchard.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S143084556
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