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It was cool and clear this autumn day, the first scheduled walk after the time change and the election. Some of us felt a bit disoriented by those shifts in our reality. A flock of Bushtits flitting through the brush adjacent to the Visitor Center deck where we assemble, a pair of Ravens calling as they passed overhead, Mallards and American Wigeon on the pond, brought our attention to the physical world. One of the many benefits of birding.
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Deni found a Townsend's Warbler among the Kinglet crowd in the Alders in the parking lot as we started out. Two Red-breasted Sapsuckers were pecking away industriously in the orchard "play area" seeming oblivious to the sound of gas-powered weed-eaters distracting us. O<span style="font-size: 12pt;">ut on the entrance road, t</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">wo Swans headed south overhead, Chickadees and Kinglets danced in the trees and a perched Anna's Hummingbird shown gold in the bright morning sun.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wilson's Snipe were once again in the flooded field south of the bend in the access road, a trio of Greater White-fronted Geese flew south over the Canada Geese foraging on the south side of the pond. Five Killdeer flushed and flew west. Further north, west of the road, 6 Snow geese hung together in the midst of 1200 Cacking geese and numerous Northern Pintail. The Cacklers lifted up noisily and filled the sky overhead briefly when a Peregrine Falcon buzzed them.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Along the west side of the Visitor's Center Pond boardwalk, two Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker were working away and in the slough at the junction with the Twin Barns boardwalk, a Virginia Rail showed nicely. Out on the dike a Meadowlark was a bright yellow attraction perched alongside Leschi Slough. Flocks of Dunlin flashed dark and then bright white, performing their mesmerizing murmuration.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Walking out the McCallister Creek boardwalk, a flock of Least Sandpipers with two Western Sandpiper associates caught our attention. A couple Spotted Sandpipers worked the west bank and a Common Loon consumed a Flounder while sharing the creek with Red breasted Mergansers. East of the gated end of the boardwalk, a large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls rested on the mud. Four Trumpeter Swans stood out along the creek shore on our return to the dike.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The complete checklist follows:</span>
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
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Nov 6, 2024 7:44 AM - 4:05 PM
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Protocol: Traveling
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4.62 mile(s)
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Checklist Comments: Also saw Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seals, Eastern Gray squirrel, Townsend's Chipmunk.
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67 species (+6 other taxa)
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Snow Goose 6
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Greater White-fronted Goose 3
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Cackling Goose (minima) 2000
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Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 50
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Canada Goose 8
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Trumpeter Swan 4
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Trumpeter/Tundra Swan 2
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Northern Shoveler 2
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Gadwall 6
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American Wigeon 800
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Mallard 100
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Northern Pintail 800
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Green-winged Teal 1500
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Surf Scoter 40
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Bufflehead 150
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Hooded Merganser 3
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Red-breasted Merganser 8
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Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 36
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Anna's Hummingbird 2
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Virginia Rail 3
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Killdeer 5
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Wilson's Snipe 6
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Spotted Sandpiper 2
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Greater Yellowlegs 45
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Dunlin 1100
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Least Sandpiper 80
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Western Sandpiper 3
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Bonaparte's Gull 140
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Short-billed Gull 120
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Ring-billed Gull 80
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California Gull 2
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Glaucous-winged Gull 1
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Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 24
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Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 30
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Larus sp. 120
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Common Loon 5
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Brandt's Cormorant 7
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Double-crested Cormorant 20
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Great Blue Heron 8
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Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
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Northern Harrier 3
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Bald Eagle 8
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Red-tailed Hawk 4
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Belted Kingfisher 2
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Red-breasted Sapsucker 3
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Downy Woodpecker 3
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Hairy Woodpecker 1
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Northern Flicker 3
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Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
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Peregrine Falcon 1
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American Crow 250
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Common Raven 4
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Black-capped Chickadee 12
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Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2
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Bushtit 20
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15
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Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
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Brown Creeper 4
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Pacific Wren 5
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Marsh Wren 5
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Bewick's Wren 6
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Varied Thrush 6
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American Robin 24
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American Pipit 1
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House Finch 2
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Pine Siskin 120
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Fox Sparrow 2
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Golden-crowned Sparrow 25
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Song Sparrow 22
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Spotted Towhee 2
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Western Meadowlark 1
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Red-winged Blackbird 40
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Townsend's Warbler 1
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<br>View this checklist online at <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S201623460">https://ebird.org/checklist/S201623460</a>
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