Date: 5/16/25 5:48 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 5/14/2025
Hi Tweets,
Another awesome Spring Day at the Refuge with cloudy skies and cool
temperatures in the 40's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a Low
-1'10" Tide at 1:27pm, so we anticipated lots of mud and did our "regular"
walk. Highlights included a First for Us, SABINE'S GULL, in breeding
plumage as seen from the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail, on the mudflats
and McAllister Creek foraging along side RING-BILLED GULL,
BONAPARTE'S GULL, and CALIFORNIA GULL. We observed numerous First of Year
including EVENING GROSBEAK calling around the parking lots, BANK SWALLOWS
over the flooded fields and freshwater marsh, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN on the
mudflats on a high tide, and some photos of SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER in the
freshwater marsh. Both WESTERN TANAGER and LESSER GOLDFINCH were heard.
Other nice sightings included great looks at WOOD DUCK, CINNAMON TEAL,
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS.
For the day we had 78 species with eight FOY's bumping our year list to 146
species. The Sabine's Gull has increased our overall Wednesday Walk total
to 217 species.
Other fun sightings included several Columbian Black-tailed Deer and an
intriguing Kelp Crab amongst Green Shore Crabs in Crab Pond near the Puget
Sound Viewing Platform.
Please see our eBird Report below for more details, locations, and photos.
Have a great week, be well, and happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
May 14, 2025 7:18 AM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.358 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with temperatures in the
40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A low -1’10” Tide at 1:27pm. Mammals seen
Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, and Harbor Seal. Others seen Red-eared Slider, Green Shore Crab,
and Kelp Crab.
78 species (+3 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 50
Wood Duck 10
Blue-winged Teal 3
Cinnamon Teal (Northern) 6
Northern Shoveler 1
Gadwall 2
Mallard 100
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal (American) 3
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Goldeneye 11 Counted individually in small flock in Nisqually
River from Nisqually River Overlook.
Hooded Merganser 8
Common Merganser 3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 3
Mourning Dove 2
Vaux's Swift 41
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Rufous Hummingbird 4
Virginia Rail 2 Heard in freshwater marsh.
Sora 6 Heard in flooded fields and freshwater marsh.
Killdeer 1
Short-billed Dowitcher 1 Photo. Freshwater marsh.
Long-billed Dowitcher 5 Freshwater marsh.
Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Photos. Observed with binoculars and spotting
scope in fresh water marsh foraging. Medium sized yellowlegs with short
straight bill. Overall structure more attenuated.
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 1
shorebird sp. 1
Sabine's Gull 1 Observed foraging in tide pools and mudflats for 30
minutes at 100 feet to 1/4 mile with binoculars and spotting scopes. Photos
taken. Small Bonaparte sized gull with black head, yellow tipped black
bill, darker gray mantle then area Bonaparte gulls and distinctive
triangular contrasting colors of black, gray and white on open wing while
flying. Observed foraging and flying with Ring-billed Gull and a few
Bonaparte and California Gull. Seen from the Nisqually Boardwalk Estuary
Trail on the mudflats east of the trail.
Bonaparte's Gull 2
Ring-billed Gull 75
California Gull 3
Glaucous-winged Gull 3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 5
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Caspian Tern 4
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Freshwater marsh.
Brandt's Cormorant 3 Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 15
American White Pelican 7 Observed by some of our group who went out to
the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike in the morning during a falling high
tide. Distinctive. Large white waterbird with large yellow orange bill and
featherless throat or gullet. Photos taken. Birds flew out late morning.
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 30
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 10
Common Raven 6
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Bank Swallow 10 Counted individually, possible more. Minimum of 6-8
over flooded fields. Minimum of 4-6 over freshwater marsh.
Tree Swallow 35
Violet-green Swallow 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4 West bank of McAllister Creek.
Barn Swallow (American) 50 Visitor Center nest.
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 50 Visitor center nest. Large number
of nesting birds under I5 overpass.
Bushtit (Pacific) 2
Brown Creeper 3
Marsh Wren 18
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 4
European Starling 30
Swainson's Thrush 18
American Robin 40
Cedar Waxwing 8
Evening Grosbeak 6
Purple Finch (Western) 4
Pine Siskin 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1 Heard by Miles along west side of Twin Barns loop
trail.
American Goldfinch 20
White-crowned Sparrow 1 Subadult.
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 6
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 42
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Bullock's Oriole 3 Nest observed on west side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
between Twin Barns cut-off and Twin Bench overlook south on outside of
trail in tall skinny Cottonwood Tree.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 50
Brown-headed Cowbird 30
Common Yellowthroat 6
Yellow Warbler (Northern) 33
Wilson's Warbler 1
Western Tanager 1
Black-headed Grosbeak 2
