[Tweeters] Wednesday walk at Nisqually.

[Kenneth Brown via Tweeters]

Five of us decided, independently, to arrive more than an hour early in hopes of catching the Barn Owl out hunting.  We walked out to the twin barns viewing platform in the dark.  The sky was overcast, the moon not visible.   About 15 minutes after our arrival, still in twilight, we were rewarded with a sight of the owl as it made a few low passes over the field west of the barns and then flew directly into the box high up on the west side of the southerly barn.  Within 5 minutes, another owl approached from the north, flew directly over us and then off to the west.  This bird was a bit bulkier than the Barn Owl, and from underneath, much darker in color, a Barred Owl.  Two owls before 7:30 am, more than enough compensation for an hour less sleep.
 
After returning to the Visitor's Center deck to begin the scheduled walk, there was a sudden cacophony of crows, about 75 of them mobbing another Barred Owl that had just landed in the maple just north of the deck.  The mob was successful in driving off the owl fairly quickly, but most of the participants (crows and birders) got a good look before it left.
 
The sky was mostly overcast as we began but to the south of us a patch of clouds were lit up fiery red, reminiscent of that old mariner's adage, "red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning."  The warning was accurate as it began to rain, lightly at first, but heavier as the day wore on, and a cold wind stirred up.
 
Over the flooded field south of the bend in the access road, we watched a Peregrine Falcon swoop through a large flock of blackbirds then take it's prey to a bare tree to the west where it was dismantled and consumed.  Out on the freshwater side of the dike we were treated again to prolonged sightings of a pair of adult Virginia Rails. Dunlin are increasing in number, waterfowl are returning in force, Green-winged Teal, Pintail and Wigeon in particular.  Notable misses: no Fox Sparrow, no Waxwings, no Warblers or Grebes of any kind.  The complete checklist follows:
 
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 30, 2024 7:01 AM - 3:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.23 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. It was mostly cloudy in the morning with a beautiful sunrise, but the rain began lightly at 8:30, turning heavier in the afternoon with south winds from 5-12 knots. Temperatures ranged from 43-47º Fahrenheit. An 11.5-foot High Tide at 5:38 a.m. ebbed toward a +4.8-foot low water at 11:11 a.m.  Non-bird animals seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Coyote, Harbor Seal, and Pacific Chorus Frog.
59 species (+5 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  1575
Cackling Goose (Taverner's)  45
Canada Goose  38
Northern Shoveler  14
American Wigeon  450
Mallard  150
Northern Pintail  875
Green-winged Teal  2100     * Flagged as high count. Counted 10x10s, then by 100s; likely an underestimate.
dabbling duck sp.  300
Surf Scoter  8     Nisqually Reach
Bufflehead  23
Hooded Merganser  4     Two in Visitors' Center pond; two in McAllister Creek
Common Merganser  1     McAllister Creek
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  34     Entrance gate area
Virginia Rail  3     Watched two adults foraging in cattail marsh; a third bird vocalized
American Coot  1
Killdeer  1
Wilson's Snipe  14
Spotted Sandpiper  2     East bank of McAllister Creek
Greater Yellowlegs  18
Dunlin  275     Surge plain
Least Sandpiper  4     McAllister Creek
Short-billed Gull  30
Ring-billed Gull  170
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  6
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Iceland Gull (Thayer's)  1     Adult type with Relatively more slender-bill with less of a gonydeal angle than nearby "Olympic" Gulls. Off-black primaries, head with light/moderate grey streaking
Common Loon  3     One in McAllister Creek; 2 on Nisqually Reach
Brandt's Cormorant  5     Nisqually Reach channel marker
Double-crested Cormorant  24
Great Blue Heron  16
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1     Immature
Cooper's Hawk  2     Immature on surge plain and an adult along the river.
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  6
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  2
American Barn Owl  1     Foraging bird seen from Twin Barns overlook at 07:17; flew directly into the box on the South Barn
Barred Owl  2     One at Twin Barns overlook at 07:23; another at the Visitors' Center being chased by crows at 07:59
Belted Kingfisher  3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Northern Flicker  3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  2
Merlin  1     Immature bird
Peregrine Falcon  1     Adult bird caught a red-winged blackbird from large flock flying over south fields
American Crow  105
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  30
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
Bushtit (Pacific)  19
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  18
Golden-crowned Kinglet  12
Brown Creeper  2
Marsh Wren  4
Bewick's Wren  7
European Starling  15
American Robin  15
American Pipit  2
Pine Siskin  145     Several large flocks
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  32
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  3
Red-winged Blackbird  225

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S200917717
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