[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 9/20/2023

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets!

thirty-five of us had a great 'last day of summer' bird walk at the Refuge
with temperatures in the 50's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit and cloudy skies
in the morning giving way to sunny skies in the afternoon,  Highlights
included FOY PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (photos) relocated in the marsh plane
just west of Leschi Slough and north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail, return
of CACKLING GEESE, minima's, a big push -high count- of migrating SAVANNAH
SPARROWS and AMERICAN PIPIT, return of wintering species VARIED
THRUSH/RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET/GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, nice looks of
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, numerous raptors and shorebirds.  We observed
83 species for the day and picked up a late FOY HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER thanks
to Jason's early morning efforts along the west side of the Twin Barns Loop
Trail.  A BARRED OWL was briefly relocated by Laurel along the east side of
the Twin Barns Loop Trail just south of the double bench overlook.  So far
we have seen 162 species this year.

See our eBird report pasted below with locations of sightings.  Until next
time when we meet again at 8am, happy birding!
Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Sep 20, 2023 7:28 AM - 5:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.091 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday walk. Cloudy in the morning with sunny
skies in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 50’s to 60’s degrees
Fahrenheit. A High 11’10” Tide at 10:12am. Mammals seen Eastern
Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, Coyote.
83 species (+2 other taxa)

Greater White-fronted Goose  1     Fly over spotted by Laurel. Nisqually
Estuary Trail.
Cackling Goose (minima)  200
Wood Duck  1
Northern Shoveler  5
American Wigeon  25
Mallard  50
Northern Pintail  300
Green-winged Teal  20
Hooded Merganser  3     Tributary off Shannon Slough along Estuary
Boardwalk Trail
Common Merganser  1     Nisqually River Overlook.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  25
Band-tailed Pigeon  1
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Sora  1     Heard by Liam, freshwater marsh.
Black-bellied Plover  3     Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Pacific Golden-Plover  1     Previously reported rarity. Photos. Seen at
300 feet north of Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike in the marsh plain west
of Leschi Slough between the slough and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Relocated today by Jason, observed by many with 60x spotting scope. Overall
golden yellow color with prominent ear spot and relatively short primary
projection beyond tertials on folded wing. Looked like 2-3 flight feathers
in primary projection.  Roosting and feeding. Observed for 15-20 minutes.
Semipalmated Plover  5     Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail north of
McAllister Creek Observation Platform.
Killdeer  2
Least Sandpiper  150
Pectoral Sandpiper  2     Heard only from the Nisqually Estuary Trail along
the freshwater marsh.
Western Sandpiper  300
Long-billed Dowitcher  8     Seen by some of our group in the Visitor
Center Pond and north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike west of Leschi
Slough.
Wilson's Snipe  1     Freshwater marsh.
Spotted Sandpiper  1     Nisqually River Overlook.
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Ring-billed Gull  350
California Gull  20
Glaucous-winged Gull  15
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  2
Larus sp.  400
Caspian Tern  1
Brandt's Cormorant  3     Nisqually River Channel Marker from the Puget
Sound Observation Platform.
Double-crested Cormorant  250
Great Blue Heron  30
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1     Line of trees along the central access road
between fields and marsh.
Cooper's Hawk  1     Freshwater marsh.
Bald Eagle  5
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Barred Owl  1     Relocated by Laurel just south of the double bench
observation platform on the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail. Flew
from outside the old Nisqually River Dike over the Boardwalk within the
Loop Trail.
Belted Kingfisher  3
Red-breasted Sapsucker  2     Foraging at the base of Maple Trees on the
inside of the Loop Trail just north of the Beaver Deceiver.
Downy Woodpecker  5
Northern Flicker  3
Merlin  1     Hunting the tide flats.
Peregrine Falcon  2     Hunting the freshwater marsh.
Western Wood-Pewee  3
Hammond's Flycatcher  1     Spotted by Jason west side of the Twin Barns
Loop Trail just south of the first double bench observation platform.
Steller's Jay  1
American Crow  50
Common Raven  4
Black-capped Chickadee  20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  10
Violet-green Swallow  25
Barn Swallow  75
Bushtit  16
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  10
Golden-crowned Kinglet  15
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
Brown Creeper  8
Marsh Wren  3
Bewick's Wren  6
European Starling  250
Varied Thrush  4     Visitor Center Pond Overlook. East side of Twin Barns
Loop Trail.
Swainson's Thrush  6
American Robin  12
Cedar Waxwing  8     West parking lot.
American Pipit  75
American Goldfinch  7
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  6
Golden-crowned Sparrow  10
Savannah Sparrow  65
Song Sparrow  15
Lincoln's Sparrow  5     Visitor Center Pond.
Spotted Towhee  4
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  15
Yellow Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  1
Black-throated Gray Warbler  2     West side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S150381280
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