Date: 4/18/26 9:46 pm From: Kenneth Brown via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually
April showers bring May flowers, or so I have heard. The morning started with light rain, a cold (38°F) breeze, and a crowd of ~2 dozen birders on the deck. Wood Ducks, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, mallards and a few Canada Geese were in the pond.
A now expected male Rufous Hummingbird again stood watch over his territory at the entrance to the play area. Purple Finch sang from the top of a fruit tree. A new addition to the play area is a much larger-than-life carved wooden dragonfly, child sittable/stand-able, next to the incipient demonstration eagles nest. A pair of Mourning Doves flew overhead.
Cinnamon Teal were again among the ducks in the pond south of the turn in the service road. Almost as expected as his Rufous cousin, a male Anna's Hummingbird surveyed his claim from the top of a small tree between the north parking lot and the service road. Flying low over the flooded field to the west were five Swallow species, Barn, Tree, Violet Green, Rough-winged, and, first of the year, Cliff Swallows.
A pair of Ravens croaked from the top of a fir tree east of the pond as we started on the boardwalk trail on the west side of the loop. Close in, a family of five Virginia Rails played peek-a-boo with us close in the cattail reeds on the edge of the pond. The mama Robin once again sat on her nest, as did both female Rufous Hummingbirds seen last week. A Musk Rat swam a sinuous path northward in the slough, crossing under the boardwalk and then out of sight. A hairy Woodpecker made an appearance, as did a few Chickadees, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Two Eurasian Wigeon could be found among the other duck species from the Twin Barns overlook. A flock of 3 dozen Greater White-fronted Geese flew in a shallow, ragged "V" northward overhead.
The eagle's nest in the Cottonwood along the Nisqually River was again occupied. Viewing it is likely to get iffy over the next couple of weeks as the tree continues to "leaf out." The weather had fluctuated all day, rain, then drizzle, brief periods of sun, clouding up again, and now hail mixed with rain and strong wind as we walked the unsheltered portion of the dike. Three Greater White-fronted Geese shared our experience, if not our discomfort. They only reluctantly stepped aside as we passed on the gravel surface, not intimidated but wary and perhaps annoyed by our presence. A Sora foraging close in on the freshwater side of the dike made the weather no longer a distraction as we had prolonged good views.
An unusual sight from the upper part of the McAllister Creek boardwalk, several Bonaparte's Gulls, some in black-hooded breeding plumage, some in winter plumage. They first roosted on the sand, then moved into the water, mixing with Bufflehead. Again, an Eagle sat in the southerly nest west of the creek. This nest will be visible if young are hatched this spring. Ubiquitous Harbor Seals shared the water with Double-crested Cormorants, a Horned Grebe, and ducks, including Gadwall, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers. Greater yellowlegs shared the shoreline with a Spotted Sandpiper. From the Gazebo at the north end we saw Brandt's Cormorants on the channel marker, a Pelagic Cormorant in flight, it's white flank patch visible. A flock of Brant Geese got up to the east and settled back down and out of sight. A murmuration of Dunlin flashed back and forth near the mouth of the Nisqually River. As we headed back to the dike, a Turkey Vulture soared over the ridgeline to the west.
An Osprey, another first of the year, glided overhead as we made our way to the Nisqually river overlook. When we arrived, the white bodies and dark green heads of three drake Common Mergansers stood out against the far shore of the river, another drake and a hen sighted downstream. Tree and Violet Green Swallows swooped over the river. A swift flying Merlin, seemingly intent on catching a Swallow, swept low over the river then suddenly changed directions and crossed over our heads and out of sight. Whether it's hunt was successful, we couldn't tell.
We made our way south along the east side of the loop, a brief side trip on the riparian spur, mostly to see the skunk cabbage (just past peak bloom) and then back to the Visitor's Center deck for the final tally. The checklist follows, but you really should click on the link. Wednesday Walk regulars include several excellent photographers who have attached photos that really make the checklist.
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Apr 15, 2026 7:59 AM - 4:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.183 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk on a Spring morning with temperatures from 38-47º F and a 3-to-15-knot south breeze. The weather was variable, with light rain to start, then everything from fair skies to rain, hail, and 20+ knot gusts throughout the walk. A High 13.3-foot Tide at 4:42 a.m. ebbed to a +2.1-foot low water at 11:15 a.m. before flooding toward an 11.9-foot high at 5:12 p.m. Non-birds seen included Musk Rat, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s Chipmunk, and numerous Harbor Seals hauled out in the estuary of McAllister Creek, as well as a few cold Pacific Chorus frogs.
85 species (+9 other taxa)
Greater White-fronted Goose 36 A flock of 36 flew over, with 3 birds landing on the north dike for feed and gravel
Brant (Black) 62 At the edge of the mud flats along Nisqually Reach
Cackling Goose (minima) 180
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 42 Continuing injured bird along the north dike
Canada Goose 62 Many paired up
Wood Duck 7
Cinnamon Teal 8
Northern Shoveler 45
Gadwall 58
Eurasian Wigeon 2
American Wigeon 170
Mallard 80
Northern Pintail 11
Green-winged Teal 185
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 18 Nisqually Reach
Surf Scoter 1 Off Luhr Beach
Bufflehead 135
Common Goldeneye 18
Hooded Merganser 5
Common Merganser 5 Four drakes and a hen in the Nisqually River
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9 At the entrance gate
Band-tailed Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 4
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Rufous Hummingbird 5 Two occupied nests continue along the west side of the loop boardwalk
hummingbird sp. 1
Virginia Rail 8 5 Adults together in visitors' pond along the west side boardwalk
Sora 2 Well-seen bird in the cattail marsh; another vocalizing from nearby
American Coot 75
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1 West side McAllister Creek
Greater Yellowlegs 24
Dunlin 550
Least Sandpiper 9
Bonaparte's Gull 25
Short-billed Gull 205
Ring-billed Gull 38
California Gull 3
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 6
Pied-billed Grebe 3
Horned Grebe 2 Beautiful alternate plumage
Brandt's Cormorant 3 Nisqually Reach Channel Marker
Pelagic Cormorant 1 Nisqually Reach; white 'saddles'
Double-crested Cormorant 7
Great Blue Heron 14
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1 First of season
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 18 Adults on nests - south McAllister Creek and cottonwood along the River
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Vocalizing from west of McAllister Creek
Northern Flicker 3
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3
Merlin 1
American Crow 6
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Tree Swallow 65
Violet-green Swallow 26
Tree/Violet-green Swallow 40
Purple Martin 2 Reported by Janel
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 45
Cliff Swallow 8
Bushtit (Pacific) 2
Brown Creeper 5
Pacific Wren 1 Riparian overlook boardwalk
Marsh Wren 22
Bewick's Wren 9
European Starling 80
American Robin 24
Purple Finch (Western) 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 7
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 29
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 5
Red-winged Blackbird 40
Brown-headed Cowbird 15
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1
Common Yellowthroat 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 26
