Date: 8/21/25 6:59 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Correction to Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 8/20/2025
A few corrections to my Wednesday Walk Report...
1) no Black-throated Green was seen, it was a Black-throated Gray Warbler.
2) the House Wren was likely an immature Marsh Wren, fooled again by
subadult plumage. Fun photos from Lisa Genuit to check out.
3) we observed four juvenile Bitterns on the day and likely had an adult in
the vicinity, so upwards of 5 American Bitters.
Thanks for the collaboration!
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. 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. The west end Parking lot and field west of access road 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 5 Four juveniles seen, one Bittern 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
Marsh 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.
