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<span id="_mce_caret"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Hi folks,</span></span>
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About two dozen birders assembled at the Nisqually NWR Visitors’ Center overlook at 8 a.m. on a clear and frosty morning for the weekly Wednesday Walk led by Refuge volunteers. There had been a 13.74-foot high tide at 6:47, so the group opted to follow the “usual” route through the heritage orchard, where we viewed GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and SPOTTED TOWHEE. An intergrade YELLOW-SHAFTED X RED-SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER was the highlight there.
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Continuing around the service road, we had great views of a trio of PURPLE FINCHES, a BROWN CREEPER, and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS. Scanning through the CACKLING GOOSE flocks, we identified both Minima and Taverner’s Cackler subspecies. A PEREGRINE FALCON made a pass, followed by a lone BONAPARTE’S GULL circling the fields.
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From there, we continued along the west side of the boardwalk loop where a PIED-BILLED GREBE swam in the company of MALLARDS, WOOD DUCKS and RING-NECKED DUCKS. A mixed-species flock or two featured BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, PACIFIC WREN, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and a pair of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. A pair of BALD EAGLES defended their territory from intruders and carried in sticks to ‘spruce up’ the nest.
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A short stop at the Twin Barns yielded few birds, so we continued out onto the North Dike, gaining views of MARSH WREN, FOX SPARROW, NORTHERN HARRIER and WESTERN MEADOWLARK. The CACKLING GEESE were feeding near to the dike and the flock hosted an immature SNOW GOOSE. Amazingly, a single swan circled up McAllister Creek and circled the Refuge before landing in the Pierce County side of the River; several birders heard its vocalization, proving it to be a TRUMPETER SWAN.
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As we continued onto the estuary boardwalk, we confirmed that the BUFFLEHEAD had returned for the season with many dozens in the creek and out onto the Nisqually Reach. They were joined by COMMON GOLDENEYE, HORNED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, a few HOODED MERGANSERS, and hundreds of dabbler ducks: MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and AMERICAN WIGEON. Despite much searching we could not locate Eurasian Wigeon or a “Common” Teal, but did find a single GADWALL.
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Several hundred “Peeps” gave us opportunity to look for a rare species, but we could only identify LEAST and a few WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and DUNLIN. GREATER YELLOWLEGS and a single SPOTTED SANDPIPER rounded out the shorebird hunt.
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Now that it is waterfowl hunting season, the Refuge has closed the final several hundred meters of the boardwalk, the end of which borders the Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife’s hunting area. This separation, until the end of the hunt on 29<sup style="line-height: 0;">th </sup>January, is for the protection of Refuge visitors. From the gate at the north end of access, those with spotting scopes identified BRANT’S CORMORANTS, SURF SCOTERS, and a COMMON LOON from the waters of Nisqually Reach. With the tide so far out, many distant waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls are unidentifiable.
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There were few birds seen from the Nisqually River overlook, so we continued back along the east side of the boardwalk loop. The afternoon woods were fairly quiet, which we attributed to lowering barometric pressure with the incoming marine layer of clouds. As we neared the parking lot, an owl flew across the boardwalk ahead of us and perched, giving us great looks and photos of a BARRED OWL.
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Finally, as we were going over the day’s checklist, we found a WILSON’S SNIPE snoozing the afternoon away in the pond at the Visitors’ Center overlook.
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After the walk, several birders returned to the Orchard, where Jayson D had seen an unidentified sparrow this morning. They were rewarded with a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW; a great way to end a day’s birding.
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Here’s hoping to see you at one of the weekly walks. The group meets every Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. at the Visitors’ Center overlook, and birders of all (or no) experience are welcome. Most make a morning of it, although there will be a few ‘hard-core’ types who spend the entire day.
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
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9 Nov, 2022 8:00 AM - 4:04 PM
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Protocol: Traveling 6.25 mile(s)
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Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. We had frost on the boardwalks at 8 a.m., and sunny skies until around 2 p.m. when the temperature had risen to 44º F and it began to cloud over. There had been a +13.74-foot high tide at 6:47 am, ebbing to a +6.79-foot low water at 12:13 pm. Mammals seen included eastern grey Squirrels, Columbian Black tailed deer and Harbor seals.
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67 species (+7 other taxa)
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Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) 1
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Cackling Goose (minima) (Branta hutchinsii minima) 1025
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Cackling Goose (Taverner's) (Branta hutchinsii taverneri) 58
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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 16
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Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 1 Vocalized during flyover
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Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 6
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Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) 6
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Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 1
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American Wigeon (Mareca americana) 295
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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 385
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Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 555
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Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 775
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Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 2
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Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) 2
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scoter sp. (Melanitta sp.) 20
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Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 145
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Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 13
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Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 3
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Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1<em><br></em>
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Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) 2
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Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 36
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Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) 1
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American Coot (Fulica americana) 12
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Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 1
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Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 345
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Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 205
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Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) 10
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Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 1
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Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1
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Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 28
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Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 1
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Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus) 32
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Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 65
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Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) 2
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Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis x glaucescens) 3
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Western/Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus occidentalis/glaucescens) 6
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Larus sp. (Larus sp.) 250 Mouth of the River
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Common Loon (Gavia immer) 1
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Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) 8
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Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 18
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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 20
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Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 3
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Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 2
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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 12
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Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) (Buteo jamaicensis calurus/alascensis) 1
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Barred Owl (Strix varia) 1
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Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 4
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Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) (Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati) 3
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Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) (Dryobates villosus [harrisi Group]) 1
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Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
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Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 1
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Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus luteus x cafer) 1
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Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
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American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 35
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Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 12
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 3
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Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 15
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Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 2
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Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) 6
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Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 6
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Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 3
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European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 310
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American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 38
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American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 1
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Purple Finch (Western) (Haemorhous purpureus californicus) 3
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American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 36
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Fox Sparrow (Sooty) (Passerella iliaca [unalaschcensis Group]) 2
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Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]) 2
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Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) 8
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White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 1
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Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 22
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Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) (Pipilo maculatus [oregonus Group]) 11
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Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 1
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Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 18
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Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) 2 (<em>I did not see this species today</em>)
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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S122147574
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