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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">I arrived early, before the entrance gate was open, intent on getting out to the Twin Barns before sunrise, hoping to catch sight of the Barn Owls as they returned to their roost. As I waited in the dark, an Owl flew right to left across a gap in the roadside brush, illuminated by my headlights. The bird was too big, too gray, to be a Barn or Short-eared Owl. Barred Owl. Maybe this will be a two-owl day. A few minutes later, on a timer, the gate opened. Driving in, the road was littered with small branches, It had been windy overnight. Past the side road to the Maintenance compound, past the orchard and the south entrance to the south parking lot, my headlights showed a wall of green limbs blocking the road. I entered the south lot to find it mostly obstructed by the shattered top of the large Cottonwood that had fallen, taking other trees with it Moving as far toward the smaller tops as possible, I drove over them, the broken wood thumping against my car's undercarriage. I parked in the empty north lot, grabbed my binoculars and rain coat, and hurried up the gravel service road to the Twin Barns platform. </span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">It was still dark, the moon not visible, but Jupiter was a bright beacon in the western sky. I scanned the dim fields and the sky, checked the owl's usual entrance to the barns repeatedly, but no luck. I heard Canada and Cackling Geese, then Mallards and American Wigeon vocalizing. As daylight came on, a flock of Northern Shovelers materialized in the flooded fields, along with three Swans. After 20-30 minutes I surrendered to the necessity to return to the Visitor's Center to meet the birders who would arrive for the weekly walk. Original intent unfulfilled, but time not wasted.</span>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Back at the Visitor's Center, Refuge staff had arrived and already begun cleaning up the south lot to make it usable as a bypass for the blocked section of entrance road. Steve informed us that staff had told him that the previous week, two adult Barn Owls had been discovered dead inside the barn. Samples have been sent off for toxic substance analysis, the birds frozen for possible necropsy later. Sad news to start the walk. </span>
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On the pond a Muskrat made a "v" shaped wake as it swam, a couple of Pied-billed Grebes submerged and resurfaced. At the north end of the south lot, a small flock of Purple Finches decorated a bare Alder, Jon reported a Varied Thrush. The crew was making good progress cleaning up the lot. American Crows flew westerly overhead, not always in large numbers but a steady stream. In the play area Golden-crowned Sparrows picked through the leaf litter, the orchard gave up a couple Spotted Towhees and a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Near the Land Trust building, another Sapsucker played peekaboo as it spiraled around a multi-trunked bare tree. Along the entrance road, both the orchard to the east and the pond to the west were quiet and apparently bird free.
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Canada Geese, a few Mallards and some American Wigeon occupied the flooded field south of the bend in the service road. Rain showers came and went leaving everyone wet. A Northern Flicker perched in the tall Willow in the center of the pond west of the north parking lot. He was surrounded by Norther Shovelers, More Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal. a few red-winged Blackbirds showed themselves.
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Starting on the west side of the boardwalk loop trail, we noted a few Ring-necked Ducks and a lone female Bufflehead on the pond. The brush and trees were more productive with Fox, Song, and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Bewick's Wren, both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Downy Woodpecker, and Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees. At the north end of the pond where a spur road crosses, we found the loop trail roped off. We learned later a large tree had fallen across the trail crushing not only the railing but the decking too
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Out on the service road again. More of the same ducks, with a few American Coots. A "Gray Ghost", a male Northern Harrier, flying low, worked the western side of the field, changing direction, dipping behind tall grass then back into view. Three Swans on the far side emulated the Harrier by gliding in front and behind tall clumps of grass. A cloud of ducks lifted up when a Bald Eagle made a pass over, but settled back down after the Eagle moved on.
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Another Sapsucker at the Maple grove, then to the Twin Barnes platform. More of the same ducks. The Swans were closer in and in the open, making it easier to identify them as Tundra Swans.. Three Northern Harriers, an adult female, a Ghost and another younger male still morphing into his gray plumage made appearances.
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Visible from the dike, two adult Bald Eagles were renovating their old nest in the tall Cottonwood next to the Nisqually River. The tide was out showing a lot of mud, and distant ducks and occasional Greater Yellowlegs. Song and Golden-crowned Sparrows occupied both sides of the dike, Lincoln's Sparrow only on the north side, as were a pair of Meadowlarks. A Merlin chased smaller birds without apparent success. Once out of the wind shadow of the Willows, the wind, while not as strong as last week, felt colder because it was 15° colder, and we were wet. It was not a heavy rain but still penetrating. A flock of female Red-winged Blackbirds flew into a small bare Alder close in on the north side, showing off their vibrant plumage, some with a lot of red on their faces. To the south, a few ducks sheltered in the freshwater marsh, a couple more Coots mixed in.
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The boardwalk along McAllister Creek was slick from rain and the algae that accumulates on the outer edges. To the east was exposed mud spotted with a few gulls, and a lot of American Wigeon. To the west the greenish water of the creek showed a few Surf Scoters, Common Golden eye, and Bufflehead. A Horned Grebe popped up, to our pleasure, a Spotted Sandpiper flew swift and low downstream, then across the creek. Harbor Seals patrolled the water, just the tops of their heads above the surface. From the north end we could see more Scoters and Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, a Common Loon and a few more Horned grebes. Only a few Great Blue Herons were posted along the shore as were Double-crested Cormorants. Brandt's Cormorants occupied the channel marker. Returning to the dike we were pelted with ice pellets mixed with rain. We scanned the Wigeon again, searching unsuccessfully for a hidden Eurasion Wigeon.
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At the Nisqually River overlook, the water was again running high and muddy, though not as turbulent as last week.. It was devoid of waterfowl but a California Sea Lion was porpoising in the murky water at the bend of the river. Searching for unseen prey? We turned south on the east half of the loop trail, finding Brown Creeper, Chickadees and Kinglets. Heather hung back and found an Orange-crowned Warbler. The spur trail to the riparian area was blocked off , presumably due to storm damage, so we returned to the Visitor's Center deck for our final tally. To the east was a bright full arc rainbow, a happy ending for thee walk.
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The full checklist follows:
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
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Dec 17, 2025 7:45 AM - 12:52 PM
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Protocol: Traveling
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2.395 mile(s)
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Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Several trees blown down in last night's wind storm; including a significant section of the west side of the boardwalk loop, where 15 feet of the boardwalk was destroyed. The walk began on an Overcast, 40º F morning with a south breeze at 3-8 knots; the breeze increased as we went out on the north dike and estuary boardwalk to 12-15 knots, with rain and ice mixed showers around 2 p.m.; temperatures rose to 46º F. A +13.4-foot high tide at 05:34 a.m. was ebbing toward a “high” low water of +8.6-feet at 10:36 a.m. Mammals seen included a muskrat at the Visitors' Center pond, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, and eastern cottontail. There were Harbor Seals in McAllister Creek, and California Sea Lions in the Nisqually River.
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Total time was 7 hours and 35 minutes; total distance travelled was 5.09 miles
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63 species (+4 other taxa)
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Cackling Goose (minima) 650
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Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 25
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Canada Goose 37
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Trumpeter Swan 5 Jon observed 5 adults Flying south out of the refuge past the entrance gate. Vocalizing.
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Tundra Swan 3 Vocalizing, heard by Heather; observed in flooded field SW of the Twin Barns overlook. yellow dot at the Base of the bill two adults and a immature
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Northern Shoveler 135
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Gadwall 14
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American Wigeon 1035
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Mallard 115
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Northern Pintail 260
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Green-winged Teal 400
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Ring-necked Duck 13
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Surf Scoter 12
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Bufflehead 65
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Common Goldeneye 15
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Red-breasted Merganser 38
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Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 29
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American Coot 11
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Spotted Sandpiper 1 McAllister Creek
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Greater Yellowlegs 30
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Dunlin 215
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Least Sandpiper 48
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Short-billed Gull 32
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Ring-billed Gull 15
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Glaucous-winged Gull 2
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Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 4
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Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 6
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Pied-billed Grebe 2
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Horned Grebe 4 McAllister Creek and off Luhr Beach
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Common Loon 1 Off Luhr Beach
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Brandt's Cormorant 12 Nisqually Reach channel marker
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Double-crested Cormorant 25
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Great Blue Heron 11
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Northern Harrier 4
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Bald Eagle 11 Two adults carrying sticks to the nest in the cottonwood north of the dike along the Nisqually River.
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Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 3
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Barred Owl 1 Ken observed At entrance gate at first light
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Belted Kingfisher 3
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Red-breasted Sapsucker 4
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Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
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Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
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Northern Flicker 1
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Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
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Merlin 2
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Peregrine Falcon 1
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California Scrub-Jay 1
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American Crow 145
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Black-capped Chickadee 8
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Chestnut-backed Chickadee 15
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9
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Golden-crowned Kinglet 18
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Brown Creeper 3
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Pacific Wren 6
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Marsh Wren 3
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Bewick's Wren 1
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European Starling 30
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Varied Thrush 1 South Parking lot.
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American Robin 26
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Purple Finch (Western) 9
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Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
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Golden-crowned Sparrow 42
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Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 28
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Lincoln's Sparrow 2
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Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
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Western Meadowlark 2
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Red-winged Blackbird 16
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Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Seen by Mary and by Heather
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<br>View this checklist online at <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S289114926">https://ebird.org/checklist/S289114926</a>
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