[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 25 of us had a really nice day of birding with mostly cloudy
skies, a good sun break, a short shower, and temperatures in the 30's to
40's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a Low 3.9ft Tide at 12:36pm, and we did
our usual walk.  Highlights included FOY WOOD DUCK and VIOLET-GREEN
SWALLOW, better looks at TREE SWALLOW for the whole group to enjoy, great
looks at ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and LINCOLN'S SPARROW in mixed feeding
flocks, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK sighting along the Central Access Road
between the restricted old McAllister Creek Access Road and the Twin Barns,
WILSON'S SNIPE and AMERICAN KESTREL in the freshwater marsh, and both
EURASIAN WIGEON and AMERICAN  X EURASIAN WIGEON hybrid in McAllister Creek.

Starting out at the Visitor Center at 8am, we had great looks of
RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE and first
of year WOOD DUCK.

The Orchard was good for GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD,
MOURNING DOVE, and mixed flocks of both KINGLETs, both CHICKADEEs, BROWN
CREEPER, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.  Sharp eyes spotted the RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKER in the Cedar Trees that line the entrance road across the street
from the Education Center Parking Lot.

As per the usual the flooded fields adjacent to the Access Road were great
for AMERICAN COOT, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON,
AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL and MALLARD.  BALD EAGLE, RED-TAILED HAWK, and
COOPER'S HAWK were observed hunting the fields, as well one of our group
relocated the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK in the line of trees along the Central
Access Road in the restricted area between the Twin Barns and the old
McAllister Creek Access Road.

The west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail was great for sallying
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (all Audubon's), BEWICKS/PACIFIC/MARSH WRENS, FOX
SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE and HAIRY WOODPECKER.

Out on the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail, we got a sun break with
good mixed flock activity in the bramble and trees between the dike and the
slough adjacent to the Twin Barns.  Great views of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
LINCOLN'S SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, DOWNY WOODPECKER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and
additional sparrows and kinglets previously mentioned.  We had nice looks
of FOY VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW as well TREE SWALLOW flying over the dike.  In
the freshwater marsh we spotted WILSON'S SNIPE, AMERICAN KESTREL, COOPER'S
HAWK and NORTHERN HARRIER.

The BALD EAGLE nest on the west bank of the Nisqually River north of the
Nisqually River Overlook had an adult bird renovating the nest.  The nest
on the west bank of McAllister Creek south of the McAllister Creek Viewing
Platform has an adult that appears to be incubating.  Later in the day we
had an adult adjacent to the nest above the Twin Barns.  Within the week
there have been adult birds in the nest across the creek from the Puget
Sound Viewing Platform and the big cottonwood south of I5 adjacent to
Medicine Creek.  My guess is we have upward of 3-4 pair of breeding
BALD-EAGLE.

The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was great for DOUBLE-BREASTED
CORMORANT, BRANT G00SE, SURF SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, GADWALL,
COMMON GOLDENEYE, HORNED GREBE, SHORT-BILLED GULL, RING-BILLED GULL,
GLAUCOUS-WINGED/WESTERN GULL, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, LEAST
SANDPIPER and BELTED KINGFISHER.  We spotted our EURASIAN WIGEON and an
AMERICAN X EURASIAN WIGEON hybrid in McAllister Creek.  We had higher
counts of AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL then previous weeks, upward of 500.
PILEATED WOODPECKER was heard along the west bank hillside.  Distant COMMON
LOON and BRANDT'S CORMORANT were scoped from the Puget Sound Observation
Platform, as well thousands of AMERICAN WIGEON and NORTHERN PINTAIL.

On our return we picked up COMMON MERGANSER at the Nisqually River
Overlook, as well additional COMMON GOLDENEYE.

We observed 74 species for the day, and have seen 101 species for the
year.  Mammals seen included EASTERN COTTON-TAILED RABBIT, COLUMBIAN
BLACK-TAILED DEER, EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, HARBOR SEAL, and COYOTE.

Until next week, good birding!
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Mar 8, 2023 6:41 AM - 4:31 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.594 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy with intermittent
rain and temperatures in the 30’s to 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 3.9ft
Tide at 12:36pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, and Coyote.
74 species (+6 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  8     Observed flying over the flooded field
between the Access Road and the Entrance Road.
Brant (Black)  38     Observed from the Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Cackling Goose (minima)  870
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  10
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  20
Wood Duck  2     Visitor Center Pond.
Northern Shoveler  200
Gadwall  75
Eurasian Wigeon  1     McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
American Wigeon  2000
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)  1
Mallard  300
Northern Pintail  2000
Green-winged Teal (American)  500
Ring-necked Duck  10
Surf Scoter  15
scoter sp.  20
Bufflehead  200
Common Goldeneye  45
Hooded Merganser  6
Common Merganser  5     Nisqually River Overlook.
Red-breasted Merganser  40     McAllister Creek Overlook.
Pied-billed Grebe  3
Horned Grebe  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  8
Mourning Dove  1
Anna's Hummingbird  1
American Coot (Red-shielded)  125
Least Sandpiper  14
Wilson's Snipe  1     Freshwater Marsh
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  30
Short-billed Gull  50
Ring-billed Gull  30
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  12
Larus sp.  150
Common Loon  1
Brandt's Cormorant  8     Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  20
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper's Hawk  2
Bald Eagle  10     Bird in the nest in the cottonwood along the west side
of the Nisqually River north of Nisqually River Overlook.  Another bird in
the nest on the west side of McAllister Creek south of the McAllister Creek
Observation Platform.
Red-shouldered Hawk  1     Observed by some of the group along the Central
Access Road south west of the Twin Barns in the trees that line the road.
Small buteo with black and white bars on the tail and white spots on the
back.  Observed in spotting scope perched in a tree at 1/4 mile.
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  2
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  4
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  6
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  2
American Kestrel  1
American Crow  175
Common Raven  3
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  6
Tree Swallow  11
Violet-green Swallow  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  15
Golden-crowned Kinglet  15
Brown Creeper  3
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  6
Bewick's Wren  6
European Starling  25
American Robin  100
House Finch  2
Purple Finch  4
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  6
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  30
Song Sparrow  37
Lincoln's Sparrow  2
Spotted Towhee  8
Western Meadowlark  1
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens)  3     Orchard and area between dike and
slough adjacent to Twin Barns.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  20

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S130493960

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20230309/e847539b/attachment.html>