Date: 10/2/25 8:45 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 10/1/2025
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us had a wet and windy Wednesday at the Refuge with
mostly cloudy skies, intermittent rain, and temperatures in the 50's to
60's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a High 12'3" Tide at 3:24pm.
Highlights included, we could bird the Refuge! With the Federal Government
shutdown, we did not know until 5am if the gate would be open. Please
check the Refuge webpage prior to visiting to make sure trails are open and
the gate is not locked. In the morning, the Orchard was very birdy with
sightings of WESTERN TANAGER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER,
and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER. Laurie and Kelly got on our First Of Year
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in the Orchard as well. We had GREATER-WHITE
FRONTED GEESE in the flooding fields along with CACKLING GEESE and a push
of High Count VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS. A skulking VIRGINIA RAIL begrudgingly
showed at the Twin Barns cut-off bridge from the Twin Barns Loop Trail. We
had a nice raptor show with great looks of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, MERLIN dive
bombing both COOPER'S HAWK and PEREGRINE FALCON, AMERICAN KESTREL and
RED-TAILED HAWK. The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was great for
viewing WHIMBREL, LEAST SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and various Gulls.
On our return we got closer looks of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER on the incoming
tide and took some photos of likely two First of Year PACIFIC GOLDEN
PLOVER. I was so preoccupied trying to document and photo the PGPL, that
there may have been other species in the surge plain (thinking other
shorebirds). So it's worth spending time on the dike during a high tide of
11' or more.
For the day we observed 78 species, with FOY White-throated Sparrow and
Pacific Golden Plover, we know have seen 171 species this year. See our
eBird Report with embedded photos pasted below.
Others seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend's Chipmunk,
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Harbor Seal, Pacific Chorus Frog, Isabella Tiger
Moth Caterpillar and Paddle-tailed Darner.
The end of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail will be closed during
hunting season from October 11th until the beginning of February.
Until next week when we hopefully meet again at 8am if the Refuge is open
to visitors, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Oct 1, 2025 7:44 AM - 4:38 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.092 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Intermittent light rain with sun
breaks and temperatures in the 50’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. There was a
High 12’3” Tide at 3:24pm, so did our routine walk. Others seen included
Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Harbor Seal. Pacific Chorus Frog. Paddle-tailed Darner.
78 species (+5 other taxa)
Greater White-fronted Goose (Western) 6 Flooded field between Access
Road and Entrance Road.
Cackling Goose (minima) 12
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 13
Wood Duck 12 Visitor Center Pond.
Northern Shoveler 6
American Wigeon 125
Mallard 50
Northern Pintail 300
Green-winged Teal (American) 400
Surf Scoter 1 Puget Sound Observation Platform.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 10
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 4
Mourning Dove 2
pigeon/dove sp. 1
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Virginia Rail 2
Black-bellied Plover 10 Surge plain and mudflats.
Pacific Golden-Plover 2 Photos. Two golden plovers observed at a 1/4
mile with spotting scopes for 20 minutes on surge plain on 12 foot high
tide. One likely juvenile with more golden wash over entire body, the other
likely an adult with more gray on breast and body. Both birds with darker
crowns, smaller bills, more discrete head patterns and more gray/color on
sides of under tail coverts. Based on location and migration, most likely
PGPL, markings look good for this species, unable to really assess primary
projection to completely rule out AGPL. Seen by several on walk.
Whimbrel 3 Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail between entrance and
McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
Long-billed Dowitcher 20
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 35
Least Sandpiper 30
Western Sandpiper 15
Ring-billed Gull 200
California Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 6
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Larus sp. 150
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Western Grebe 25 Puget Sound Viewing Platform.
Common Loon 2
Brandt's Cormorant 10 Nisqually Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 60
Great Blue Heron 35
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 9
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Orchard.
Northern Flicker 3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3
American Kestrel (Northern) 1
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 2
American Crow 12
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 30
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Violet-green Swallow 200 Minimum, probably more. Counted in groups of
20. Suspect big migration pushing through region.
Barn Swallow (American) 1
Bushtit (Pacific) 20
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Brown Creeper 6
Pacific Wren (pacificus Group) 3
Marsh Wren 4
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 2
European Starling 50
American Robin 50
Cedar Waxwing 25
House Finch 4
Purple Finch (Western) 5
American Goldfinch 4
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 1 Orchard.
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 2
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 20
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 75
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 4
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Green gate on access road across from
Orchard and entrance to Education Center parking lot. Mixed flock with YRWA.
Western Tanager 2 Orchard. Two females with pale orange tanager bills,
light yellow wash, very pale wing bars.
