Date: 11/13/24 8:39 pm From: Kenneth Brown via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually Wednesday.
A dark-for-daylight sky and heavy rain greeted the smaller than usual collection of only semi-sane birders this morning. The sky and gusting winds seemed to portend miserable weather for the day ahead. The walk through the south parking lot, play area and orchard yielded little bird activity, though we did find a Sapsucker, a couple Flickers and few chickadees and Kinglets. A single Mourning Dove streaked through the orchard, almost too quick to identify. The rain slackened a bit.
On the entrance road, recent low tree limb removal afforded a peek-a-boo view of the small pond west of the road. Shovelers and Wigeon held the pond, an unusual-sized flock (14) of Wilson's Snipe rose up briefly from the far shore, then settled back down. The larger pond south of the service road also held a variety of the usual waterfowl and on it's south shore a Northern Harrier was eating it's not-visible kill. West of the service road a large flock of Cackling Geese hosted a single Black Brant, close in and very visible. Mallards and a couple female Bufflehead showed on the pond alongside the west part of the loop trail, Black capped Chickadees, Kinglets and Bewick's Wren in the brush on the opposite side.
Out on the dike, the rain turned to only occasional showers but the wind kept up. A full length rainbow served as a backdrop for 4 Trumpeter Swans that flew south overhead. A Peregrine Falcon harrassed the Cacklers and flocks of Dunlin appeared and disappeared. Mallards, Wigeon, Bufflehead and a few female/juvenile Surf Scoters shared McAllister Creek with the usual congregation of Harbor Seals. Small flocks of Least Sandpipers and a Spotted Sandpiper showed again along with several Greater Yellowlegs. From the gated end of the estuary boardwalk, the choppy water made distant birds difficult to see but we picked out some Red-breasted Mergansers along with more Scoters. Back on the dike Tom found our first of fall Eurasian Wigeon and while scoping it a flock off Western Meadowlarks entered our view.
The rain returned near the end of our walk but, all in all, a better day than expected. The more complete checklist follows:
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 13, 2024 8:00 AM - 2:49 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.639 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Rain and south wind at 10-15 knots, with the rain slacking off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; it was 52ยบ all day. There was a low +4.2-foot tide at 8:55 a.m., flooding to a +14.7-foot high water at 2:47 p.m. Mammals seen included eastern grey squirrel, Columbian black-tailed deer, Harbor Seals; also the Pacific Chorus Frogs were active & vocal.
59 species (+6 other taxa)
