Date: 10/23/25 12:17 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr NWR for 10/22/2025
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 30 of us had a really nice Fall day at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit and mostly cloudy skies
with intermittent sun and light rain. There was a High 12'10" Tide at
7:28am and a Low 6'2" Tide at 1pm. Highlights included BARN OWL seen at
the Twin Barns Observation Platform at 7:15am by Steve, PILEATED WOODPECKER
seen in the Orchard in the morning, a nice raptor show with PEREGRINE
FALCON X 2/MERLIN/AMERICAN KESTREL-male/NORTHERN HARRIER-one male, AMERICAN
BITTERN flying over the freshwater marsh, hybrid AMERICAN X EURASIAN WIGEON
spotted by Laurie on the mudflats, continuing WHIMBREL near the McAllister
Creek Viewing Platform, nice views from the closure gate on the Nisqually
Estuary Boardwalk Trail including First Of Year PARASITIC JAEGER harassing
some SHORT-BILLED GULLs on the reach near Anderson Island, PECTORAL
SANDPIPER with KILLDEER in the surge plain on our return at 2pm, and First
Of Year HOUSE SPARROW spotted by Heather in the Orchard.
For the day we observed 81 species, with FOY Parasitic Jaeger and House
Sparrow, we now have seen 175 species so far this year. See eBird Report
pasted below.
It was a nice wildlife day with sightings of Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit,
Harbor Seal, Mink, Townsend's Chipmunk, Douglas Squirrel, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Coyote, Pacific Chorus Frog, Red-legged Frog and Puget Sound
Garter Snake. Some interesting mushrooms as well.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, enjoy Fall in to Birding, ;-).
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 22, 2025 7:41 AM - 4:29 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.032 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy, intermittent sun
breaks and light rain. Temperatures in the 40’s-50’s degrees. A Low 6’2”
Tide at 1:00pm. Others seen Harbor Seal, Mink, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Coyote, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Pacific Chorus
Frog, Red-legged Frog, Puget Sound Garter Snake.
81 species (+4 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 300
Wood Duck 2 Visitor Center Pond
Northern Shoveler 6
Gadwall 1 Visitor Center Pond
American Wigeon 500
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) 1 Spotted by Laurie, mixed in with
large group of AMWI north of dike on mudflats west of Leschi Slough. Red
head with green eyepatch. Blended gray and red sides. Very prominent white
coverts of wing and white horizontal line between side and folded wing on
swimming bird.
Mallard 150
Northern Pintail 700
Green-winged Teal (American) 1000
Surf Scoter 30 McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach
Common Merganser 3 Spotted by Anders flying over the Refuge and
flushed from Nisqually River by boat.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 45
Band-tailed Pigeon 1 Seen in the morning. Flying over Ed Center
parking lot.
Mourning Dove 2 Flying over dike.
Anna's Hummingbird 1 Orchard.
Virginia Rail 2 Visitor Center Pond and Freshwater Marsh.
Black-bellied Plover 10 Surge plain. Could not observe any yellow-tan
juveniles.
Killdeer 32
Whimbrel 1 Continuing rarity. Photo. McAllister Creek Platform.
Long-billed Dowitcher 35
Wilson's Snipe 1 Fly over dike south of green closure gate.
Spotted Sandpiper 1 West Bank of McAllister Creek
Greater Yellowlegs 15
Dunlin 250
Least Sandpiper 100
Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Surge plain seen at 2:00pm during low tide with
large group of Killdeers and a few BBPL and DUNL.
Western Sandpiper 6
Parasitic Jaeger 1 Observed harassing two gulls closer to Anderson
Island across the reach from the closure gate. Dark bird similar size to
gulls with pointed wings and white flashes in proximal primaries. Behavior
and wing pattern consistent with PAJA. Observed for 30 seconds with 60’s
spotting scope.
Rhinoceros Auklet 14 Gray fast flying alcids with white belly,
relative large flat head with dark throat and chest. Minimal rocking back
and forth in flight.
Short-billed Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 150
California Gull 1 Spotted by Janel on Nisqually Boardwalk Trail.
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Horned Grebe 1 Scoped by Janel on Nisqually Reach from closure gate.
Western Grebe 1 Scoped by Ken at mouth of McAllister Creek from
closure gate.
Red-throated Loon 1 Scoped by Jon on Reach from closure gate.
Common Loon 2
Brandt's Cormorant 11 Channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 40
American Bittern 1 Spotted twice, once by Ken and again by Steve.
Flushed and flew over the freshwater marsh.
Great Blue Heron 25
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 8
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Barn Owl 1 Spotted by Steve at Twin Barns Observation
Platform at 7:15am.
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Spotted by Tim, Samara and Robin in the Orchard
in the morning.
Northern Flicker 4
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
American Kestrel (Northern) 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 2
American Crow 100
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 21
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 8
Bushtit (Pacific) 15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15
Golden-crowned Kinglet 15
Brown Creeper 4
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group) 8
Marsh Wren 8
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 4
European Starling 200
Varied Thrush 1 Heard only on the inside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.
American Robin 53
Cedar Waxwing 8
House Sparrow 1 FOY! Spotted by Heather in the Orchard
American Pipit 3
House Finch 3
Purple Finch 4
American Goldfinch 6
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 3
Golden-crowned Sparrow 30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 1
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 27
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Spotted by Jim off dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee 6
Western Meadowlark 2
Red-winged Blackbird 50
