[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 3/20/2024

[Shep Thorp]

Hi Tweets,

approximately 25 of us had a cool down day at the Refuge after the glorious
weather over the weekend.  Skies were cloudy with temperatures in the 40's
to 50's.  There was a Low 6"5" Tide at 10:45am and a High 10'4" Tide at
3:04pm.  Highlights included FOY CANVASBACK at the mouth of the Nisqually
River and SAVANNAH SPARROW along the dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail.  We
also had really cool looks of displaying MOURNING DOVE around the Orchard,
male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD feeding on the SalmonBerry flowers, hybrid AMERICAN
X EURASIAN WIGEON at the Twin Barns Overlook, BELTED KINGFISHERs visiting a
burrow in a bank on the west side of McAllister Creek, and great looks of
black BRANT GEESE in Madrone Slough from the Puget Sound Observation
Platform.

For the day we observed 75 species, and with FOY CANVASBACK, SAVANNAH
SPARROW and EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, we have observed 110 species this year.

See eBird report pasted below, many nice photos embedded by our regular
walkers.

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
Mar 20, 2024 7:35 AM - 5:07 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.086 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Cloudy skies with temperatures in
the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 6’5” Tide at 10:45am and a High
10’4” at 3:04pm. Mammals seen Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Cotton
Tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal. Pacific Tree Frog,
Northwest Salamander Egg Masses.
75 species (+8 other taxa)

Brant (Black)  32
Cackling Goose (minima)  500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  45
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  40     1287-47512. Upside down metal tag
left leg. Canada Goose
Wood Duck  8
Northern Shoveler  200
Gadwall  50
Eurasian Wigeon  3
American Wigeon  700
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)  1
Mallard  125
Northern Pintail  300
Green-winged Teal (American)  1000
Canvasback  1
Ring-necked Duck  10
Greater/Lesser Scaup  1
Surf Scoter  80
Bufflehead  150
Common Goldeneye  75
Hooded Merganser  12
Common Merganser  5
Red-breasted Merganser  25
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  20
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  10
Band-tailed Pigeon  3
Eurasian Collared-Dove  1
Mourning Dove  8
Rufous Hummingbird  3     Males only
American Coot  160
Wilson's Snipe  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  15
Dunlin  1200
Least Sandpiper  100
Short-billed Gull  150
Ring-billed Gull  50
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  75
Larus sp.  100
Common Loon  3
Brandt's Cormorant  12
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron  15
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  15     Nest on West Bank of Nisqually River north of dike
occupied.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  3     Across from north section of Nisqually Estuary
Trail Boardwalk on West Bank of McAllister Creek.
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  4
Steller's Jay (Coastal)  2
American Crow  75
Common Raven  3
Black-capped Chickadee  18
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  4
Tree Swallow  80
Violet-green Swallow  80
Barn Swallow  2     continuing/seen by I think everyone in the group, I
guess accidentally left off the master group list
Bushtit  8     Paired up for two weeks.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  20
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Brown Creeper  6
Pacific Wren  4
Marsh Wren  6
Bewick's Wren  8
European Starling  50
Varied Thrush  8
American Robin  30
Purple Finch  1
Pine Siskin  8
Fox Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  6
Golden-crowned Sparrow  20
Savannah Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  26
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  4
Spotted Towhee (maculatus Group)  1     Previously reported the week
before. Spotted by Teri, crisply heavily white spotted towhee with white
rachi on flight feathers. Observed foraging at Education Center for several
minutes with bins. Much brighter, whiter and crisper than other area
Towhee’s.
Red-winged Blackbird  53
Yellow-rumped Warbler  25
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  15

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165481330
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