[Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually.

[Kenneth Brown]

Another cool fall day began at the Visitor's Center deck.  The "pond" is now more of a damp field, with narrow channels holding water.  Deer were browsing the vegetation casually in the center.  It was mostly bird-free, other than a couple of Mallards in one channel.  16 people started out but grew to 24 during the day.  We followed the usual circuit. All the usual suspects, but again this week we missed the Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Shrike.  A couple not associated with our group purported to have seen a Great Egret, but we were unable to locate it.  Lots of ducks, still a variety of shore birds but no grebes today.  The little extra jolts of joy were provided by two separate sightings of bright Townsend's Warblers, and at the end of the day, back at the Visitor's Center, the mink did a short tour of the dry pond before entering what must be his den closely followed (in time) by a Barred owl that landed out in the open 10 yards from us, giving us long looks from three different perches.  The total tally follows:
 
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 1, 2023 8:00 AM - 4:16 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Overcast with a bit of drizzle, calm and 45-53º F.  There was a +14.2-foot high tide at 9:42 a.m., ebbing to a +7.8-foot low water at 3:19 p.m.  Mammals seen included mink, Columbian Black-tailed deer, Eastern Grey Squirrels, Townsend's Chipmunk and Harbor Seals.
66 species (+7 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  2400
Canada Goose  2
Northern Shoveler  15
Gadwall  60
Eurasian Wigeon  1
American Wigeon  800
Mallard  120
Northern Pintail  875
Green-winged Teal  1500
Surf Scoter  15
White-winged Scoter  1
Surf/Black Scoter  40
Bufflehead  75
Common Goldeneye  2
Hooded Merganser  4
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Killdeer  1
Long-billed Dowitcher  43
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher  2
Wilson's Snipe  1
Greater Yellowlegs  20
Dunlin  50
Least Sandpiper  30
Western Sandpiper  5
Short-billed Gull  35
Ring-billed Gull  150
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  6
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  7
Larus sp.  100
Common Loon  5
Brandt's Cormorant  1
Double-crested Cormorant  30
American Bittern  1
Great Blue Heron  10
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  5
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  1
Barred Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  2
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  3
American Kestrel  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  190
Common Raven  5
Black-capped Chickadee  45
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  15
Bushtit  50
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  15
Golden-crowned Kinglet  25
Brown Creeper  5
Pacific Wren  5
Marsh Wren  12
Bewick's Wren  5
European Starling  350
Varied Thrush  5
American Robin  28
House Finch  4
Pine Siskin  75
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  17
White-throated Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  35
Lincoln's Sparrow  2
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  9
Red-winged Blackbird  5
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Townsend's Warbler  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S153604562
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