Date: 8/21/25 10:51 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR 8/20/2025
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 35 of us had a really nice Summer's Day at the Refuge with
overcast skies in the morning and light rain, clearing to sunny skies by
late morning, and temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees Fahrenheit. A
Low -1’7” Tide at 10:07am and a High 13’7”Tide at 5:59pm.
Highlights included migrating WESTERN TANAGER in the Orchard. A lot of
bird activity along edge habitat of the west end parking lot and the field
adjacent across the Access Road where there were numerous CEDAR WAXWING,
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH feeding and we had sightings of LESSER GOLDFINCH, PINE
SISKIN, WARBLING VIREO and First Of Year HOUSE WREN. We decided to do the
Twin Barns Loop Trail counter clockwise starting at the East Entrance, and
found a mixed flock of feeding WILSON'S WARBLERS, YELLOW WARBLERS, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BUSHTIT,
and Laurie spotted our First Of Year BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER all
between the twin bench overlook and the beaver deceiver. The Nisqually
Estuary Trail or new dike continues to be terrific for excellent views of
juvenile and adult AMERICAN BITTERN, SORA, and VIRGINIA RAIL. There are
reports for four juveniles and one adult. In the afternoon we had a nice
tidal push but only distant views of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and upwards of
1500 WESTERN SANDPIPER.
For the day we observed 69 species. With FOY House Wren and Black-throated
Green we are now at 163 species for the year. See our eBird Report pasted
below, photos to be added.
It was a nice frog day with numerous Red-legged Frog in the Orchard,
Pacific Chorus Frog and American Bullfrog. We also observed Townsend's
Chipmunk, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer and
Harbor Seal.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 20, 2025 6:30 AM - 5:08 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.284 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Overcast in the morning with light
rain, clearing to sunny skies by late morning. A Low -1’7” Tide at 10:07am
and a High 13’7”Tide at 5:59pm. The west end Parking lot and field west of
the access road were very busy with birds. We decided to do the Twin Barns
Loop Trail in reverse and had excellent warblers along the east side of the
Trail in between the Twin Bench overlook and Beaver Deceiver with FOY
Black-throated Gray warblers.
69 species (+7 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 50
Wood Duck 4 Visitor Center Pond
Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal 1 Freshwater Marsh
Mallard 40
Northern Pintail 10 Flooded mudflats.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 9 Orchard
Mourning Dove 5 Orchard
Anna's Hummingbird 3
hummingbird sp. 1
Virginia Rail 2 Freshwater marsh.
Sora 2 Freshwater marsh.
Black-bellied Plover 4 Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 3
Wilson's Snipe 5 Flying around the freshwater marsh in the morning
around 7am.
Greater Yellowlegs 45
Least Sandpiper 60
Western Sandpiper 1500 Large flocks of peep shorebirds on mudflats
with incoming tide. Counted in groups of 100. Observed around 3pm with
incoming high tide at 5:30 of 13feet. Tide level around 10-11feet.
Ring-billed Gull 500
California Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 5
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Larus sp. 200
Caspian Tern 3 Mudflats west of Leschi Slough along the Nisqually
Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Visitor Center Pond
Brandt's Cormorant 2 Nisqually River channel marker
Double-crested Cormorant 75
American Bittern 3 Two juveniles seen, I heard only. Reports from
other birders of four juveniles and one adult feeding young. Freshwater
marsh on Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Great Blue Heron 70
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Soaring over the Refuge.
Cooper's Hawk 2 Soaring over the Refuge.
Northern Harrier 1 Nisqually Reach.
Bald Eagle 8
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-breasted Sapsucker 3 East entrance to Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
Merlin 1 North section of Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Western Wood-Pewee 6 Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Willow Flycatcher 5 Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Warbling Vireo 2 West Parking Lot.
Steller's Jay 1 West bank of McAllister Creek
American Crow 31
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 26
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 6
Tree Swallow 2
Violet-green Swallow 4
Purple Martin 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 50
Cliff Swallow 1
Bushtit 38
Brown Creeper 4
Northern House Wren 1 Spotted by Sheryl and confirmed by Ed and Shep.
Foraging in Field south of Old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Bewick's Wren 5
European Starling 250
Swainson's Thrush 7
American Robin 24
Cedar Waxwing 75
House Finch 4 Twin Barns
Purple Finch 3 Orchard and west parking lot.
Pine Siskin 1 West parking lot.
Lesser Goldfinch 1 Spotted by Sue and confirmed by Jon, flying out of
field south of Old McAllister Access Road.
American Goldfinch 50
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 19
Red-winged Blackbird 150
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Common Yellowthroat 11
Yellow Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Spotted by Laurie, confirmed by Lisa,
Ken and others. Many good warblers along the east side of the Twin Barns
Loop Trail between the double bench overlook and the Beaver Deceiver.
Wilson's Warbler 9
Western Tanager 3 Orchard.
