Date: 1/22/26 10:34 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR 1/21/2026
Hi Tweets,
We started out with about 18 birders on a cold and foggy morning.
Temperatures were in the 30's degrees Fahrenheit, it was chilly and damp.
As the morning progressed, perhaps the warmer birders started showing up
around 10am when skies were slightly brighter and bird activity increased.
There was a High 14'10" tide at 7:49am and a Low 6'2" Tide at 1:45pm so we
decided to skip the Orchard and Access Roads until the afternoon to attempt
to get out on the dike a little earlier. Highlights included great looks
of HUTTON'S VIREO and RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER along the west side of the
Twin Barns Loop Trail, fabulous observations of two AMERICAN BITTERN in the
freshwater marsh on the inside of the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike
between the Willow Tree and entrance to the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk
Trail, a gorgeous flock of upwards of 2000 DUNLIN with murmurations over
the surge plain and mudflats, shorebird hunting MERLIN, first of year
NORTHERN SHRIKE on the surge plain north of the Twin Barns in the
afternoon, and continuing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in a large flock of
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW/SONG SPARROW/WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW/FOX SPARROW in
the riparian bramble south of the Nisqually Estuary Trail dike north of the
Twin Barns. Other notable sightings were BARN OWL at 7:15am from the Twin
Barns Overlook and both lutescens and gray headed variety of ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLER loosely associated with the large flock of sparrows. With the cold
fog, many small birds like GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET,
CHICKADEE and ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER were foraging off the ground instead
of higher up in the trees.
For the day, we observed 64 species. With FOY Northern Shrike, we have now
observed 78 species for the year. See our eBird Report with additional
details pasted below.
Other species seen included Douglas Squirrel, Pacific Tree Frog, Harbor
Seal, Columbian Black-tailed Deer and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
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
Jan 21, 2026 7:38 AM - 4:38 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.142 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Foggy in the morning with partly
cloudy skies in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 30’s to 40’s degrees
Fahrenheit. There was a High 14’10” Tide at 7:49am and a high Low 6’2” Tide
at 1:45pm. Others seen included Douglas Squirrel, Pacific Chorus Frog,
Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal, and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
64 species (+8 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 800
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 10
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 30
Northern Shoveler 60
Gadwall 20
Eurasian Wigeon 1 Drake. Observed from the McAllister Creek Viewing
Platform south of the confluence with Shannon Slough foraging with upwards
of 1000 American Wigeon.
American Wigeon 1500
Mallard 125
Northern Pintail 300
Green-winged Teal (American) 500
Ring-necked Duck 4 Visitor Center Pond.
Surf Scoter 30
Bufflehead 120
Common Goldeneye 30
Common Merganser 8 Most in Nisqually River.
Red-breasted Merganser 5 McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 25
Virginia Rail 1 Spotted by Miles in freshwater marsh off the Nisqually
Estuary Trail or dike 75 yards before the entrance to the Nisqually Estuary
Boardwalk Trail.
American Coot (Red-shielded) 50
Wilson's Snipe 4 Foraging in flooded field just west of the west side
parking lot.
Spotted Sandpiper 1 Spotted by Ken along the West Bank of McAllister
Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs 35
Dunlin 2000 Spectacular flock with gorgeous murmuration over surge
plain and mudflats around Leschi and Shannon Slough.
Least Sandpiper 50
Short-billed Gull 75
Ring-billed Gull 35
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Visitor Center Pond.
Horned Grebe 8 McAllister Creek.
Common Loon 1 Scope views, Nisqually Reach.
Double-crested Cormorant 10
cormorant sp. 2
American Bittern 2 Fresh water marsh along Nisqually Estuary Trail or
dike between Willow Tree and entrance to Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 15
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 15
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 3
American Barn Owl (American) 1 Spotted by Jeanette and Marc at 7:15am
from the Twin Barns Observation Platform.
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Seen at the Twin Bench Overlook along the
west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail south of the cut-off to the Twin
Barns.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3
Northern Flicker 4
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) 1 Spotted by Ken on
the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike close to the Leschi Slough aqueduct.
American Kestrel (Northern) 1 Spotted by Ellen in the surge plain
north of the Twin Barns.
Merlin 1 Spotted by Anders hunting shorebirds on either side of the
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail from the McAllister Creek Observation
Platform.
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 2 Spotted by Laurie and Ken along the west
side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail near the twin bench observation platform
just south of the access road cut through.
Northern Shrike 1 Seen in the afternoon in the surge plain north of
the Twin Barns.
American Crow 60
Black-capped Chickadee 15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Bushtit (Pacific) 20
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Brown Creeper 6
Pacific Wren (Pacific) 3
Marsh Wren 14
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 6
European Starling 150
American Robin (migratorius Group) 38
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 3
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 40
White-throated Sparrow 2 Seen in large flock of Zonotrichia along the
south side of the Nisqually Estuary Trail between the access road
intersection and the Leschi Slough aqueduct.
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 30
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 6
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed) 1 Seen in riparian bramble south
of Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike adjacent to Twin Barns where large flock
of zonotrichia were foraging.
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1 Seen in riparian bramble south of
Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike adjacent to Twin Barns where large flock of
zonotrichia were foraging.
