Date: 3/20/25 9:32 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR 3/19/2025
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 35 of us had a really nice Winter Walk at the Refuge with
cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit.
There was a High 12'5" Tide at 8:42am, so we did our usual route.
Highlights included continuing SNOW GOOSE seen multiple times flying around
the Refuge with a group of CANADA GEESE, great looks of RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
males establishing territories in the Orchard and on the Nisqually Estuary
Trail, First of Year WOOD DUCKS in the flooded fields south of the Twin
Barns, First of Year TURKEY VULTURE soaring over the Refuge, a hybrid
AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL X EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL in McAllister
Creek, and a WILSON'S SNIPE in the freshwater marsh. Other
noteworthy sightings included great looks at FOX SPARROW, LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, EURASIAN WIGEON X 4, leucistic TREE SWALLOW, and continuing WHITE
WINGED SCOTER immature male in McAllister Creek.
For the day we observed 81 species. With FOY Wood Duck, Turkey Vulture,
and Red-throated Loon, we have now observed 111 species this year. Please
see our eBird list below for details and photos. Others seen include
Muskrat, Townsend's Chipmunk, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Harbor Seal and
Pacific Tree Frog.
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
Mar 19, 2025 6:30 AM - 4:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.45 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy skies with temperatures in
the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 12’5” Tide at 8:42am. Mammals
seen Muskrat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit,
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Harbor Seal, and Eastern Gray Squirrel. Others seen
include Pacific Tree Frog and Northwest Salamander Egg Mass.
81 species (+7 other taxa)
Snow Goose 1
Brant (Black) 70
Cackling Goose (minima) 200
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 40
Wood Duck 4
Northern Shoveler 150
Gadwall 50
Eurasian Wigeon 4 Two in flooded fields, two in fresh water marsh, one
in McAllister Creek.
American Wigeon 1500
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) 1 Seen at dawn from Twin Barns
Observation Platform. Male. Light red face with slight white markings on
cheek. Blended pink-gray sides.
Mallard 200
Northern Pintail 1000
Green-winged Teal (American) 1200
Green-winged Teal (Eurasian x American) 1 Observed in McAllister Creek
with other Green-winged Teal foraging on waters edge. Observed for 5-10
minutes, digiscoped photos taken. Male bird missing a strong white vertical
bar from folded wing to water line. Horizontal bar between folded wing and
side. More prominent white lines around green eye patch.
Ring-necked Duck 14
Surf Scoter 75
White-winged Scoter 15 McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach.
Bufflehead 300
Common Goldeneye 40
Hooded Merganser 12
Common Merganser 11
Red-breasted Merganser 10
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 40
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 2
Mourning Dove 3
Rufous Hummingbird 4 Orchard and Nisqually Estuary Trail.
hummingbird sp. 1
American Coot (Red-shielded) 125
Killdeer 2
Wilson's Snipe 1 Spotted by Jon in the fresh water marsh.
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 12
Dunlin 1000
Least Sandpiper 40
Short-billed Gull 125
Ring-billed Gull 40
California Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 30
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 40
Pied-billed Grebe 3
Horned Grebe 18
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 2
Brandt's Cormorant 2 Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Great Blue Heron 30
Turkey Vulture 1
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 28 Occupied nest in Cottonwwod West Bank of Nisqually River
north of Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Red-tailed Hawk 1 Spotted by Matt at the end of the walk from the
Visitor Center Overlook.
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Spotted by Laurie at the Access Road gate
across from the entrance to the Education Center parking lot.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 5
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3
Steller's Jay 1 West Bank of McAllister Creek with
American Crow 10
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 13
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Tree Swallow 150
Violet-green Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 1 Spotted by Jon foraging over the freshwater marsh. A
dark throated swallow with a dark back and forked tail.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 24
Brown Creeper 3
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group) 4
Marsh Wren 25
Bewick's Wren 8
European Starling 50
Varied Thrush 3
American Robin 40
Purple Finch 1 Spotted by Miles and Lisa in the Orchard.
Pine Siskin 20
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1 Spotted by Ken in the Orchard.
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 24
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 2
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 23
Lincoln's Sparrow 4
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 3
Red-winged Blackbird 60
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 12
Townsend's Warbler 2
