[Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR on 5/21/2025

[Shep Thorp via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets.

Approximately 50 of us enjoyed a beautiful Spring Day at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 40's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit and a High 8'11" Tide
at 12:55pm.

Highlights included great looks of RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, CEDAR WAXWING and
PURPLE FINCH in the ORCHARD.  A few lucky birders got looks of First of
Year NASHVILLE WARBLER at the access road green gate across the entrance
road from the Education Center and along the east side of the Twin Barns
Loop Trail.  The AMERICAN BITTERN was heard 'booming' multiple times from
the flooded field south of the Twin Barns but remained hidden from our
eyes.  There were a few excellent sightings of SORA in the freshwater marsh
along the Nisqually Estuary Trail, as well CACKLING GOOSE, CINNAMON TEAL
and BLUE-WINGED TEAL.  Out on the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail, we
heard a chorus of WHIMBREL flight songs, "quiquiquiqui", and approximately
45 birds flew into the mudflats to forage.  The CLIFF SWALLOWS have a small
group of 20 birds building mud huts in the Tower at the entrance to the
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.  The WILLOW FLYCATCHER, WESTERN
WOOD-PEWEE, and WESTERN FLYCATCHER (pacific-slope) were all first of year
heard only, hope to be seen soon.  And we had several sightings of singing
WARBLING VIREO on the Twin Barns Loop Trail.  There is a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE
nest on the outside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail approximately 100 feet
south of the Twin Barns cut-off.  Tough to see, but in the top of a skinny
Cottonwood between the trail and the Access Road west (additional details
in eBird Report).

For the day we had 84 species, with six FOY including Western Wood-pewee,
Western Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, California Scrubjay(entrance road),
Warbling Vireo, and Nashville Warbler, we have seen 152 species this year.

Others seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer fawn with doe in the
freshwater marsh.  There were numerous babies to enjoy.

See our eBird Report pasted below.

Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center overlook,
be well, and happy birding.

Shep


-- 
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
May 21, 2025 6:04 AM - 5:11 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.791 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk.  Partly sunny with temperatures in
the 40’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a High 8’11” Tide at
12:55pm. Mammals seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Muskrat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, and Harbor Seal.
84 species (+3 other taxa)

Cackling Goose (minima)  2     Late birds seen in freshwater marsh.
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  100
Wood Duck  4
Blue-winged Teal  10     Freshwater marsh
Cinnamon Teal  4
Northern Shoveler  2
Gadwall  2
American Wigeon  1
Mallard  100
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal (American)  1
Ring-necked Duck  1
Hooded Merganser  30
Common Merganser  4     Nisqually River Overlook.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Band-tailed Pigeon  5
Mourning Dove  2
Vaux's Swift  20
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Rufous Hummingbird  5
Virginia Rail  2     Heard only.
Sora  8     Three to four birds seen in freshwater marsh. Birds heard in
flooded fields south of Twin Barns.
Killdeer  3
Semipalmated Plover  1     Mudflats adjacent to Tower at start of Nisqually
Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Whimbrel (Hudsonian)  46     Counted individually.  Initially two seen on
the mudflats east of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. On an incoming
high tide, we heard a chorus of Whimbrel flight calls and forty-four birds
flew in from the east delta and landed on the mudflats around Madrone
Slough or the slough just east of the Puget Sound Viewing Platform.
Greater Yellowlegs  6
Ring-billed Gull  55
California Gull  2
Glaucous-winged Gull  3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  20
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20
Caspian Tern  80     High count.
Pied-billed Grebe  5
Double-crested Cormorant  40
American Bittern  1     Heard calling flooded fields south of Twin Barns.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  40
Turkey Vulture  1
Bald Eagle  20
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  2
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)  3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific)  1
Northern Flicker  3
Western Wood-Pewee  3
Willow Flycatcher  1
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope)  1
Warbling Vireo (Western)  6
California Scrub-Jay  2     Entrance road, seen by Steve.
American Crow  8
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Bank Swallow  6     Counted. Likely more. Three-six seen over the flooded
fields south of the Twin Barns. Three-four flying-foraging over the
freshwater marsh.
Tree Swallow  40
Violet-green Swallow  3
Purple Martin  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  7
Barn Swallow (American)  60
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group)  60
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2     Heard by Bruce Jacob in evergreens along
Access Road.
Brown Creeper  4     Heard/seen at Orchard, Twin Barns Picnic Area, and
east side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
Marsh Wren  15
Bewick's Wren  1
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group)  4
European Starling  150
Swainson's Thrush  29     Counted individually.  Most heard, approximately
1/3rd seen.
American Robin  35
Cedar Waxwing  20
Evening Grosbeak  6
Purple Finch (Western)  5
Pine Siskin (Northern)  30
American Goldfinch  25
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  8
Song Sparrow (rufina Group)  47
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group)  5
Bullock's Oriole  3     Nest located in the top of a Cottonwood along the
west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail approximately 100 feet south of the
Twin Barns Cut-off and on the outside or west of the trail. This is an open
area north of the north double bench overlook in the area where we have
seen Northern Waterthrush in the past during autumn migration.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  50
Brown-headed Cowbird  35
Nashville Warbler  3     Multiple birds heard. Three different birds seen,
one near the east entrance of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, another near the
green gate across from the entrance to the Education Center parking lot,
another seen along the west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Common Yellowthroat  12
Yellow Warbler (Northern)  25
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  1
Wilson's Warbler  3
Western Tanager  3
Black-headed Grosbeak  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S241224306
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