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It was cold in the early morning, just above freezing. Heavy fog limited visibility and somewhat muffled the sound of constant I-5 traffic. A few Mallards, Bufflehead, and a female Ring-necked duck shared the Visitor’s Center Pond with a River Otter, a V-shaped wake trailing its progress across the pond. Steve Meyer cheerfully described his sighting (at the south barn) of two Barn Owls at first light to the 30 or so envious birders assembled on the deck to start our tour.
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In the trees adjacent to the south parking lot, we encountered a mixed flock of Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers. In the play area and orchard, we saw Dark-eyed Juncos, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Varied Thrush, American Robin, and Northern Flicker. Pine Siskins flash mobbed a bare Alder. Near the Land Trust office, a Red-breasted Sapsucker tended its accustomed harvest trees. Both Kinglet species, and both Chickadees flitted in the alders south of the side road. A Sharp-shinned Hawk swooped through the treetops, attempting to snatch a meal and having failed, disappeared in imagined embarrassment.
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From the roads, what was visible of the foggy flooded fields collectively yielded Mallards, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, a few Gadwall, hundreds of Cackling Geese, a single Wilson’s Snipe, a Downy Woodpecker and a Northern Harrier hunting low over the grass.
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A Merlin was spotted near the North parking lot, a solo Mourning Dove watched us from a Willow above the SW entrance to the loop trail. Fox Sparrows, and Song Sparrows announced their presence along the trail. At the Twin Barns Overlook, a variety of the familiar duck species were scanned closely and a few birders provided snacks, including Rob’s Snow Goose sausage. The circle of life.
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Out on the dike, visibility still limited, among a few Cananda Geese a bright white adult Snow Goose supervised 3 gray juveniles. (no mention our snack was made) On the freshwater side A Virginia Rail called, a couple of American Coots hung out with the ducks, and a pair of Lincoln’s Sparrows used the cattails as cover. Another Harrier searched the marsh for prey. Hundreds of American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail occupied the surge plain, along with smaller numbers of other expected species and a single Lesser Scaup. A large flock of Dunlin allowed a few Western and Least Sandpipers, including one Western with a bad leg or foot hopping on its good leg as it fed along the shoreline. Two Long-billed Dowitchers feeding nearby showed no empathy.
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When we reached the boardwalk along McAllister Creek the fog began to lift and we could see the forested far shore though not the top of the ridge. Whisps of fog clung to the water’s surface and eddied with the current. Scanning a raft of American Wigeon produced one Eurasian Wigeon. Bufflehead, Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Red-Breasted Merganser, a Horned Grebe and a pair of Hooded Mergansers mixed with Harbor Seals in the creek. Several Greater Yellowlegs and a Spotted Sandpiper patrolled its shores. From the gated end of the boardwalk, we saw several more Surf Scoters, and Red-breasted Mergansers, and another Horned Grebe, along with a group of California Sea Lions. Bald Eagles, Double-crested and Brant’s Cormorants and perched Peregrine Falcon were also seen.
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Returning to the dike the fog continued to lift and a partial blue sky appeared. We felt the warmth of the sun for the first time. A large flock of Pine Siskins swarmed the closest Alders as we approached the treeline. At the Nisqually River Overlook was a Common Merganser and another Harbor Seal. We're near the end and this report is already far too long, please see the checklist that follows.
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
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Dec 4, 2024 7:50 AM - 4:15 PM
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Protocol: Traveling
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5.63 mile(s)
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Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Heavy fog in morning limited visibility across the fields, burning off after 12:30 p.m. Temperatures ranged from 28-36º F, with light 0-5 knot east breeze. There was a 14.6-foot high tide at 8:34 a.m., ebbing to a +8.77-foot low water at 2:09 p.m. Mammals seen included an otter at the Visitors' Center pond in the morning and a muskrat there in the afternoon, also: Townsend's Chipmunk, eastern grey squirrel, eastern cottontail, Columbian black-tailed deer, a coyote, Harbor seals in the estuary and the River, and a group of California Sea Lions in Nisqually Reach.
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72 species (+7 other taxa)
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Snow Goose 4 Adult with 3 immature birds
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Greater White-fronted Goose (Western) 26
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Cackling Goose 350
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Cackling Goose (minima) 865
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Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 35
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Canada Goose 7
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Trumpeter Swan 2
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Northern Shoveler 165
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Gadwall 24
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Eurasian Wigeon 1 Drake in McAllister Creek estuary; seen from boardwalk
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American Wigeon 1350
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Mallard 175
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Northern Pintail 480
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Green-winged Teal 850
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dabbling duck sp. 1 Described as a 'teal-sized duck with white crescent on face'.
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Ring-necked Duck 1 Female at Visitors' Center pond
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Lesser Scaup 1 Surge plain
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Surf Scoter 75
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Bufflehead 60
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Common Goldeneye 40
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Hooded Merganser 2
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Common Merganser 1
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Red-breasted Merganser 6
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Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 32
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Mourning Dove 1 Willow near west boardwalk entrance
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Virginia Rail 1 Vocalized from cattail marsh
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American Coot 6
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Long-billed Dowitcher 2
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Wilson's Snipe 1
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Spotted Sandpiper 1
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Greater Yellowlegs 35
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Dunlin 1055
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Least Sandpiper 12
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Western Sandpiper 5
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Short-billed Gull 65
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Ring-billed Gull 50
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Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
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Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 6
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Pied-billed Grebe 1 Cattail marsh
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Horned Grebe 2
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Brandt's Cormorant 9 Nisqually Reach channel marker
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Double-crested Cormorant 6
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cormorant sp. 4
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Great Blue Heron 24
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Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
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Northern Harrier 3
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Bald Eagle 16
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Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1
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American Barn Owl 2 Seen by Steve M from Twin Barns overlook; entering the boxes at 6:50 & 7:01 a m
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Belted Kingfisher 2
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Red-breasted Sapsucker 1
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Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
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Northern Flicker 3
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Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
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Merlin 1
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Peregrine Falcon 1
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American Crow 100 Minimum estimate: many vocalizing as they flew over in the fog
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Common Raven 1
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Black-capped Chickadee 12
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Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
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Bushtit (Pacific) 32 two flocks
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
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Golden-crowned Kinglet 28
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Brown Creeper 7
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Pacific Wren 5
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Marsh Wren 4
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Bewick's Wren 9
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European Starling 9
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Varied Thrush 2
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American Robin 12
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Purple Finch (Western) 4
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Pine Siskin 225
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Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
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Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 2 Orchard
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Golden-crowned Sparrow 30
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Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 23
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Lincoln's Sparrow 3
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Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
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Red-winged Blackbird 4
</div> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><br>View this checklist online at <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S204527150">https://ebird.org/checklist/S204527150</a><br></span>
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