Date: 4/25/24 6:44 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 4/24/2024
Hi Tweets,
Approximately thirty of us had a very active day of birding at the Refuge
with cloudy skies, intermittent light rain and temperatures in the 40's to
50's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a Low -0'7" Tide at 12:53pm.
Highlights included First of Year WILSON'S WARBLER, WARBLING VIREO, SORA,
WESTERN TANAGER, BANK SWALLOW and VAUX'S SWIFT. We also had really nice
looks of CINNAMON TEAL, nesting RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and MERLIN. There were
high counts for YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, swallow species, and BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER.
For the day we observed 96 species. We enjoyed 8 FOY and have seen 134
species this year. See eBird Report pasted below with details and embedded
photos.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am, happy spring birding!
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Apr 24, 2024 7:01 AM - 5:50 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.704 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy skies with intermittent
light rain and temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low
-0’7” Tide at 12:53pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.
96 species (+4 other taxa)
Greater White-fronted Goose 13 Freshwater marsh.
Brant (Black) 40 Nisqually Reach scoped from Puget Sound Observation
Platform.
Cackling Goose (minima) 400
Canada Goose (canadensis Group) 25
Wood Duck 6
Blue-winged Teal 2 Flooded field south of Twin Barns.
Cinnamon Teal 7
Northern Shoveler 125
Gadwall 20
American Wigeon 75
Mallard 30
Northern Pintail 45
Green-winged Teal (American) 800
Ring-necked Duck 6
Greater Scaup 1 Shannon slough.
Surf Scoter 12
Bufflehead 60
Common Goldeneye 20
Hooded Merganser 4
Common Merganser 5
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Pied-billed Grebe 2 Freshwater Marsh
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 7
Band-tailed Pigeon 9
Mourning Dove 3
Vaux's Swift 25
Anna's Hummingbird 0
Rufous Hummingbird 5 Nest in Pear Tree near entrance to Technician
Building.
Virginia Rail (Virginia) 1 Heard only. Freshwater marsh.
Sora 2 “Sora” call heard multiple times in the morning in flooded
fields south of Twin Barns.
American Coot (Red-shielded) 75
Black-bellied Plover 20 Counted. 18 seen on the reach with other
shorebirds from the Puget Sound Observation Platform with 60x spotting
scope. 3 additional seen from Nisqually Estuary Trail on mudflats west of
Leschi Slough.
Killdeer 2
Semipalmated Plover 2 Mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Whimbrel (Hudsonian) 1 Mudflats west of Leschi Slough at 3:30pm on
incoming tide.
Wilson's Snipe 1
Greater Yellowlegs 25
Dunlin 300
Least Sandpiper 200
Western Sandpiper 30
Bonaparte's Gull 15
Short-billed Gull 120
Ring-billed Gull 15
Western Gull 1
California Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 15
Larus sp. 50
Caspian Tern 6
Common Loon 3
Brandt's Cormorant 6
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Blue Heron 20
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 75 Occupied nest west side of Nisqually River north of dike
and across McAllister Creek from Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 1
Warbling Vireo 1 Spotted by Jason at Twin Barns Picnic Area.
Steller's Jay 3 West side of McAllister Creek.
California Scrub-Jay 1
American Crow 12
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Bank Swallow 1 First spotted by Jason foraging over flooded fields
south of Twin Barns with other swallows. Observed with 10x bins. Small
brown topped swallow with white throat and necktie. Observed by many on
walk.
Tree Swallow 200
Violet-green Swallow 200
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 300
Cliff Swallow 50
Bushtit (Pacific) 3 Nests in Orchard, entrance to Maintenance Building
and north section of Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Brown Creeper 6 Next in medium next to entrance road to Education
Center Parking Lot.
Pacific Wren 2
Marsh Wren 10
Bewick's Wren 4
European Starling 10
American Robin 25
American Pipit 1 Fly over Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Purple Finch 5 Orchard.
Pine Siskin 6
American Goldfinch 6
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 5
Song Sparrow 20
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 2
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Brown-headed Cowbird 15
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 8
Common Yellowthroat 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 65
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 130
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle x Audubon's) 6 High count of
yellow-rumped warbler. Hundreds seen approximately 30% Myrtle variety.
Several yellow and white throated warblers with variable eyebrows and black
masks consistent with intergrades and suspected crossbacks. Multiple seen
by multiple birders. Could be more.
Wilson's Warbler 5
Western Tanager 1 Seen by Eric along the Nisqually Estuary Trail in
the Willow Trees between the dike and slough. Male. Orange head, yellow
body, black wings with wing bars.
