Date: 1/8/26 5:37 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 1/7/2026
Dear Tweets,
Happy New Year! Approximately 20 of us enjoyed a wet and wild one at the
Refuge yesterday with cloudy skies, intermittent rain, breezy to windy
conditions and temperatures in the 40's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a
High 15'4" Tide at 8:57am, so a nice tidal push and we did our routine walk
despite a few trail closures from fallen trees. The intrepid birding crew
of the Wednesday Walk joked about how this was the nicest weather they had
seen since my trip to Tanzania, I left the second week of December and
returned last Monday, and I was very impressed that they kept it going
through some stormy conditions.
Highlights included Michael reporting two BARN OWLS returning to the Twin
Barns around 7:18am in the morning. This is wonderful news after the
diagnosis of Avian Influenza in two Barn Owls that recently died in the
Twin Barns over the last 2-3 weeks. I suspect we had several owls
roosting/breeding in the Twin Barns with the departure of our breeding
Great Horned Owls which we have not seen in over a year. Other notable
sightings included reliable looks of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in the Pear
Trees by the Technician or Land Trust Building adjacent to the maintenance
yard, breeding plumage waterfowl with observed copulation in NORTHERN
PINTAIL and MALLARD, two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS hanging out with a large
flock GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS in the picnic area adjacent to the Twin
Barns, good looks of VIRGINIA RAIL walking the bramble line south of the
Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike just before the Leschi Slough aqueduct runs
under the dike, Ken spotted our wintering Yellow-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER
in the surge plaine, as well Matt spotted both LINCOLN SPARROW in the surge
plain and two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS flushed by NORTHERN HARRIER from the
marsh plain along Leschi Slough were it runs parallel to the dike. A
single WESTERN SANDPIPER was observed foraging with a flock of
approximately 100 DUNLIN.
For the day we had 62 species with numerous fun sightings despite the wild
weather. And according to the Wednesday Walk team, it was the best weather
they had seen in a month. See our eBird report pasted below. I'll share
more information about our 2025 round up soon.
Until we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook on Wednesday
next week, happy birding...
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jan 7, 2026 7:35 AM - 3:17 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.06 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy skies with intermittent
rain, temperatures in the 40’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 15’4” Tide at
8:57am. Others seen include Douglas Squirrel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer,
and California Sea Lion.
62 species (+5 other taxa)
Cackling Goose 500
Cackling Goose (minima) 200
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 4
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 50
Northern Shoveler 150
Gadwall 30
Eurasian Wigeon 1
American Wigeon 1500
Mallard 200
Northern Pintail 800
Green-winged Teal (American) 500
Ring-necked Duck 6
Surf Scoter 30
Bufflehead 75
Common Goldeneye 30
Hooded Merganser 3
Common Merganser (North American) 2
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Virginia Rail 1
American Coot (Red-shielded) 34
Greater Yellowlegs 24
Dunlin 500
Least Sandpiper 50
Western Sandpiper 1 Seen at 100-500 feet with spotting scope foraging
with Dunlin for 5 minutes. Peep sized shorebird with white throat and dark
legs.
Short-billed Gull 75
Ring-billed Gull 25
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 30
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Horned Grebe 3
Brandt's Cormorant 15
Double-crested Cormorant 25
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 20
Northern Harrier 2
Bald Eagle 20
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Barn Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 Observed for 5 minutes. Red nape,
brown face, and yellow shafts. Previously reported.
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) 0
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Crow 175
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6
Brown Creeper 5
Pacific Wren (Pacific) 3
Marsh Wren 4
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 2
European Starling 150
American Robin 40
Purple Finch (Western) 6
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 50
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 20
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 5
Western Meadowlark 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 30
