[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 5/22/2024.

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Approximately 30 of us had a cool but nice spring day at the Refuge with
mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40's to 60's degrees
Fahrenheit.  There was a High 12'6" Tide at 4:34am, a Low -1'4" Tide at
11:49am, and a High 12'11" Tide at 7:11pm so we split the walk into two
parts, morning and afternoon.  Highlights included high counts of CEDAR
WAXWINGS, YELLOW WARBLERS, BANK SWALLOWS, and WHIMBREL.  We had some
unexpected late ducks including COMMON GOLDENEYE and RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER.  We also located another RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER nesting cavity.

For the day we observed 81 species, and with First of Year RHINOCEROS
AUKLET and EVENING GROSBEAK, we have seen 153 species this year.  As an
FYI, the Evening Grosbeaks have just come in, and there are many at the
Refuge.  Also observed was a Red-legged Frog at the Twin Barns cut-off and
a Long-tailed Weasel carrying baby weasels across the dike from the
saltwater side to the freshwater side.

See details below in eBird reports pasted below.

Until next week when we meet again at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at
8am, happy birding.

Shep

-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
May 22, 2024 6:05 AM - 2:44 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.415 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy with temperatures in
the 40’s to 60’s  degrees Fahrenheit. There was a High 12’6” Tide at
4:34am, Low -1’4” Tide at 11:49am and a High 12’11” Tide at 7:11pm.
Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-Tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-Tailed Deer,
Harbor Seal, and Long-tailed Weasel carrying young from saltwater side of
dike to freshwater side.
75 species (+2 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  130
Wood Duck  4
Blue-winged Teal  1     Freshwater Marsh.
Cinnamon Teal  6     Flooded fields adjacent to old McAllister Creek Access
Road.
Northern Shoveler  3
Gadwall  20
American Wigeon  8
Mallard  75
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal (American)  1
Ring-necked Duck  1
Common Goldeneye  2     Spotted by Jason. Male and female. Feeding in
Shannon Slough and McAllister Creek. Head shape characteristic of Common
with sloped forehead. Male had circular facial mark and white sides.
Barrow’s are not typically seen in McAllister Creek.  Observed at 300-600
feet with 60x spotting scope.
Hooded Merganser  7
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Band-tailed Pigeon  12
Mourning Dove  4
Vaux's Swift  20
Rufous Hummingbird  3
Virginia Rail (Virginia)  1     Freshwater Marsh.
Sora  3     Flooded fields south of Twin Barns.
American Coot  1
Whimbrel  19     Counted individually on mudflats with 60x spotting scope
at 1/4 mile along Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Wilson's Snipe  1
Greater Yellowlegs  3     Freshwater marsh.
Western Sandpiper  3     Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Ring-billed Gull  50
California Gull  2
Glaucous-winged Gull  1
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  10
Caspian Tern  40
Brandt's Cormorant  4
Double-crested Cormorant  8
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  6
Turkey Vulture  1
Bald Eagle  12
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  4     Another nest cavity outside of north section
of Twin Barns Loop Trail in snag across for old Owl Nest Tree. Nest cavity
outside of west side Twin Barns Loop Trail just north of Double Bench
Overlook south of Twin Barns cut-off. Nest in Twin Barns Picnic Area.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  2
Northern Flicker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
Western Wood-Pewee  6
Willow Flycatcher  4
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope)  3
Warbling Vireo  8
California Scrub-Jay  1
American Crow  8
Black-capped Chickadee  3
Bank Swallow  6     Probably more. Three to six seen foraging over flooded
fields south os Twin Barns. Another 4-8 seen foraging over freshwater marsh.
Tree Swallow  30
Violet-green Swallow  10
Purple Martin  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  6     Check knot hole big Maple Tree at Twin
Barns cut-off.
Barn Swallow (American)  60     Visitor Center.
Cliff Swallow  50
Bushtit (Pacific)  6
Brown Creeper  8
Marsh Wren  6
Bewick's Wren  4
European Starling  30
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed)  30
American Robin  15
Cedar Waxwing  30
Evening Grosbeak  4
Purple Finch  6
Pine Siskin  2
American Goldfinch  25
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  6
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  27
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  2
Bullock's Oriole  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  40
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
Common Yellowthroat  16
Yellow Warbler (Northern)  30
Wilson's Warbler  3
Black-headed Grosbeak  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S176783110

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
May 22, 2024 3:57 PM - 7:39 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.253 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Afternoon:

Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy with temperatures in the 40’s to 60’s
degrees Fahrenheit. There was a High 12’6” Tide at 4:34am, Low -1’4” Tide
at 11:49am and a High 12’11” Tide at 7:11pm.  Mammals seen Eastern
Cotton-Tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Harbor Seal, and
Long-tailed Weasel carrying young from saltwater side of dike to freshwater
side.
55 species (+4 other taxa)

Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  75
Northern Shoveler  1
Gadwall  8
American Wigeon  6
Mallard  30
Green-winged Teal (American)  1
Surf Scoter  3
Common Goldeneye  5     Observed at length in Shannon Slough and McAllister
Creek. Male, females and immature males. Characteristic head shape with
appropriate markings. Barrows not typically seen in Creek.
Hooded Merganser  2
Red-breasted Merganser  5     Observed at 1 mile with 60x spotting scope.
Large thin billed merganser with little contrast between red head and gray
neck in females and lacking white breast in males (in comparison to COME).
Band-tailed Pigeon  1
Vaux's Swift  3
Virginia Rail (Virginia)  1
Sora  1
Whimbrel  20     Counted individually on mudflats.
Long-billed Dowitcher  2
Western Sandpiper  2
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Pigeon Guillemot  2
alcid sp.  5
Ring-billed Gull  50
California Gull  5
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Caspian Tern  60
Common Loon  2
Brandt's Cormorant  2
Double-crested Cormorant  15
cormorant sp.  6
Great Blue Heron  20
Bald Eagle  20
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Western Wood-Pewee  1
Willow Flycatcher  1
Warbling Vireo  3
American Crow  7
Bank Swallow  6     Counted in groups of three to four over freshwater
marsh and flooded fields.
Tree Swallow  20
Violet-green Swallow  10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  8
Barn Swallow  35
Cliff Swallow  20
Marsh Wren  4
European Starling  15
Swainson's Thrush  6
American Robin  6
Cedar Waxwing  6
Purple Finch  2
American Goldfinch  15
Savannah Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  6
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Brown-headed Cowbird  10
Common Yellowthroat  6
Yellow Warbler  12
Black-headed Grosbeak  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S176784327
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