<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; color: #333333;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">A bright sunny morning brought out about 30 bird nerds to start the walk, a few more were added as the day went on. While there is a core group that makes a full day out of it, most birders who attend this walk do not stay the whole day. Everyone is welcome, but no one is obligated to stay longer than they want to, except the person keeping the list. Highlights beside the wonderful weather were as good a look at a Barred Owl as anyone could ask for (4-5' from the boardwalk just above eye level with good light and no obstructions) and more distant sightings of Northern Shrike and Red-shouldered Hawk. A nice mix of shorebirds were present. One item of potential concern was an adult American Beaver on the shoreline of Shannon Slough, just south of the green gate near the start of the McCallister Creek boardwalk. It was seen before the group went out on the boardwalk and was thought to be just preening and sunning itself but after we returned, it was in the water, the tide having come in, and seemed very lethargic. When approached closely it finally slowly swam a little bit from shore but returned as soon as I backed away. The consensus belief is that the animal was/is ill. With that downer, the full tally is as follows:</span>
</div>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; color: #333333;">
</div>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; color: #333333;">
</div>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; color: #333333;">
<div>
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
</div>
<div>
Nov 8, 2023 7:58 AM - 4:25 PM
</div>
<div>
Protocol: Traveling
</div>
<div>
5.0 mile(s)
</div>
<div>
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. The morning began sunny, calm and 39º F, with high fog developing for a couple of hours before burning off again for a beautiful 54º Autumn day. There was a low 3’ 5” tide at 7:42 a.m., flooding to a 13’ 1” high water at 2:28 p.m. Besides birds, the Pacific chorus frogs were out; Columbian black-tailed deer and eastern grey squirrels were in the woods; a coyote was seen hunting along the west bank of McAllister Creek, a lethargic beaver was on the salt water side of the dike at Shannon Slough, and Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions were seen from the estuary boardwalk.
</div>
<div>
81 species (+9 other taxa)
</div> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></span>
<div>
Cackling Goose (minima) 3155
</div>
<div>
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 55
</div>
<div>
Canada Goose 50
</div>
<div>
Trumpeter/Tundra Swan 5 Near the mouth of the River; too far to ID to species
</div>
<div>
Northern Shoveler 18
</div>
<div>
Gadwall 16
</div>
<div>
Eurasian Wigeon 2 Both drakes; no females found
</div>
<div>
American Wigeon 2375
</div>
<div>
Mallard 50
</div>
<div>
Northern Pintail 465
</div>
<div>
Green-winged Teal 1885
</div>
<div>
Ring-necked Duck 4
</div>
<div>
Greater Scaup 25 Nisqually Reach
</div>
<div>
Surf Scoter 45 Several in McAllister Creek; remainder on Nisqually Reach
</div>
<div>
White-winged Scoter 2 Nisqually Reach
</div>
<div>
Bufflehead 110
</div>
<div>
Common Goldeneye 1 McAllister Creek
</div>
<div>
Hooded Merganser 2
</div>
<div>
Red-breasted Merganser 12 Several in McAllister Creek; remainder on Nisqually Reach
</div>
<div>
Horned Grebe 3 McAllister Creek near Luhr Beach
</div>
<div>
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 17 Near Entrance gate
</div>
<div>
Band-tailed Pigeon 2
</div>
<div>
Mourning Dove 1 Orchard
</div>
<div>
Anna's Hummingbird 3
</div>
<div>
American Coot 6
</div>
<div>
Long-billed Dowitcher 30
</div>
<div>
Wilson's Snipe 3
</div>
<div>
Greater Yellowlegs 28
</div>
<div>
Dunlin 250
</div>
<div>
Least Sandpiper 20
</div>
<div>
Western Sandpiper 2
</div>
<div>
Bonaparte's Gull 35
</div>
<div>
Short-billed Gull 28
</div>
<div>
Ring-billed Gull 335
</div>
<div>
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 6
</div>
<div>
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
</div>
<div>
gull sp. 200
</div>
<div>
Common Loon 2 Nisqually Reach
</div>
<div>
Brandt's Cormorant 5 Nisqually Reach channel marker
</div>
<div>
Double-crested Cormorant 50
</div>
<div>
Great Egret 1 Freshwater side of Leschi Slough near Twin Barns
</div>
<div>
Great Blue Heron 18
</div>
<div>
Northern Harrier 3
</div>
<div>
Cooper's Hawk 2
</div>
<div>
Bald Eagle 10
</div>
<div>
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Vocalizing from near Twin Barns; seen in riparian near Nisqually River
</div>
<div>
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 3
</div>
<div>
Barred Owl 1 Provided excellent views near the Twin Barns observation deck
</div>
<div>
Belted Kingfisher 3
</div>
<div>
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Orchard
</div>
<div>
Downy Woodpecker 3
</div>
<div>
Northern Flicker 4
</div>
<div>
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
</div>
<div>
Merlin (Black) 1 Very dark; expected subspecies. Perched, then seen hunting Dunlin in amazing flight
</div>
<div>
Peregrine Falcon 1
</div>
<div>
Northern Shrike 1 Perched in dead trees in cattail marsh
</div>
<div>
American Crow 28
</div>
<div>
Common Raven 2
</div>
<div>
Black-capped Chickadee 38
</div>
<div>
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 7
</div>
<div>
Bushtit (Pacific) 21
</div>
<div>
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 14
</div>
<div>
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
</div>
<div>
Brown Creeper 5
</div>
<div>
Pacific Wren 4
</div>
<div>
Marsh Wren 4
</div>
<div>
Bewick's Wren 4
</div>
<div>
European Starling 455
</div>
<div>
Varied Thrush 8 Many in Orchard
</div>
<div>
American Robin 30
</div>
<div>
American Pipit 5
</div>
<div>
House Finch 3
</div>
<div>
Pine Siskin 265
</div>
<div>
Lesser Goldfinch 6 Counted 1x1 in orchard
</div>
<div>
American Goldfinch 2
</div>
<div>
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
</div>
<div>
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1 Orchard
</div>
<div>
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 2
</div>
<div>
Golden-crowned Sparrow 9
</div>
<div>
White-throated Sparrow 2 One in Orchard; another in willows north of Twin Barns
</div>
<div>
Song Sparrow 29
</div>
<div>
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 3
</div>
<div>
Western Meadowlark 3
</div>
<div>
Red-winged Blackbird 55
</div>
<div>
Orange-crowned Warbler 3
</div>
<div>
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 6
</div>
<div>
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
</div>
<div>
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
</div>
<div>
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2
</div>
<div>
Townsend's Warbler 1
</div> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><br>View this checklist online at <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S154070210">https://ebird.org/checklist/S154070210</a><br></span>
</div>
</body>
</html>