Date: 7/3/25 11:33 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for July 2nd, 2025
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 35 of us had a nice Summer's Day at the Refuge with cool
temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees Fahrenheit and a low High 8'7"
Tide at 11:54am. Highlights included WOOD DUCK ducklings in the Visitor
Center Pond, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE feeding young along the Twin Barns Loop Trail
between the Twin Barns cut-off and the twin bench overlook south of
cut-off, quick looks of both WILSON'S SNIPE and SORA in the freshwater
marsh along the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike, and first of autumnal
migration LEAST SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and WHIMBREL. There were
numerous babies being fed including swallows, SWAINSON THRUSH, chickadees,
and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. The morning chorus of YELLOW WARBLER, SWAINSON
THRUSH, and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was lovely, although much quieter then in
June.
We also had very nice looks at Satyr Anglewing Butterfly and a red variety
of Meadowhawk.
For the day we observed 61 species. A First of Year distant
RHINOCEROS AUKLET on the Nisqually Reach has raised our annual count to 159
species. See our eBird report pasted below with details and photos being
added.
Until we meet again next week at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at 8am,
happy birding!
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jul 2, 2025 7:11 AM - 4:41 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.094 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Partly cloudy with temperatures in
the 50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 8’7” Tide at 11:54am. Mammals
seen Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Muskrat, Harbor Seal, Long-tailed
Weasel, American Bullfrog.
61 species (+3 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 15
Wood Duck 15
Mallard 25
Hooded Merganser 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 10
Mourning Dove 2
hummingbird sp. 1
Sora 2 Freshwater marsh.
Killdeer 2
Whimbrel 1 Seen from Observation Tower on Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk
Trail just south is Shannon Slough on mudflats. Photos.
Wilson's Snipe 2 Freshwater marsh.
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 5
Rhinoceros Auklet 1 Nisqually Reach.
Ring-billed Gull 100
California Gull 150
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 1
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Caspian Tern 70
Brandt's Cormorant 4
Double-crested Cormorant 40
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 60
Bald Eagle 7
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 4
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3
Merlin 1
Western Wood-Pewee 4
Willow Flycatcher 6
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 2
Warbling Vireo (Western) 4
American Crow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 9
Bank Swallow 4
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 5
Purple Martin 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Barn Swallow (American) 36
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 62
Bushtit (Pacific) 22
Brown Creeper 3
Marsh Wren 4
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 2
European Starling 100
Swainson's Thrush 36
American Robin (migratorius Group) 24
Cedar Waxwing 20
Purple Finch 6
Pine Siskin 5
American Goldfinch 30
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 2
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 28
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Bullock's Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 100
Brown-headed Cowbird 25
Common Yellowthroat 4
Yellow Warbler 16
Black-headed Grosbeak 4
