Date: 5/27/26 9:11 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR 2/27/2026
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 20 of us enjoyed a beautiful spring day with mostly sunny
skies and temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a
Low 0'2" Tide at 10:42am and a High 11'4" Tide at 5:21pm, so we elected to
walk the Twin Barns Loop Trail backwards.
Highlights included First Of Year CHIPPING SPARROW near the Visitor Center
Kiosk, FOY BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER seen along the east side of the Twin
Barns Loop Trail, and FOY WILLOW FLYCATCHER heard and seen along the slough
adjacent to the Twin Barns. Other fun sightings included displaying
BAND-TAILED PIGEONS over the Orchard. CEDAR WAXWINGS building nests in the
Orchard. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD nest with young just north of the Beaver
Deceiver. Two AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen in the freshwater marsh.
Upwards of three VIRGINIA RAIL chicks with two adults, were seen in the
freshwater marsh. And continuing HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS on the mudflats.
For the day we observed 75 species. With the FOY Willow Flycatcher,
Chipping Sparrow and Black-throated Gray Warbler, we now have seen 145
species thus far this year. See our eBird list pasted below for further
details and photos.
Fun mammal sightings included Muskrat and Long-tailed Weasel.
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
May 27, 2026 6:23 AM - 4:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.285 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Mostly sunny with temperatures in
the 50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 0’2” Tide at 10:42 and a High
11’4” Tide at 5:21pm. Mammals seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit,
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Long-tailed
Weasel and Harbor Seal. Other seen American Bullfrog.
75 species (+4 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 50
Wood Duck 25
Blue-winged Teal 1 Freshwater marsh.
Cinnamon Teal 9
Northern Shoveler 2
Gadwall 2
Mallard 100
Ring-necked Duck 1 Twin Barns Overlook.
Hooded Merganser 30
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 25
Mourning Dove 4
Vaux's Swift 1
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Rufous Hummingbird 8
Virginia Rail 7
Sora 1
American Coot (Red-shielded) 1
Killdeer 3
Hudsonian Whimbrel 8
alcid sp. 1
Short-billed Gull 1 Observed preening on mudflats adjacent to RBGU and
CAGU with 60 x spotting scope at 100-200 feet for several minutes. Third
cycle bird. Small gull with light yellow legs, brown streaks on head, dark
eye, dainty yellow-green bill with black tip. Smaller then area RBGU. Photo.
Ring-billed Gull 100
California Gull 40
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Caspian Tern 30 Two banded birds: 1) Band right leg with White on
red: CO33.
Three bands on left leg read top to bottom orange/blue/metal. 2)
Band right leg with Black on yellow: J778. Three bands left leg read top
to bottom orange/green/silver. Possible photos.
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Brandt's Cormorant 1
Double-crested Cormorant 50
American Bittern 2 Freshwater marsh.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 60
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 30 Two occupied nests both on West Bank of McAllister Hill.
One south of the McAllister Creek/Medicine Viewing Platform, the other
north of it.
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 3 Nest snag outside of west side Twin Barns
Loop Trail just north of the twin bench overlook south of the Twin Barns
cut-off.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Northern Flicker 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
Western Wood-Pewee 8
Willow Flycatcher 2
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 5
Hutton's Vireo 1
Western Warbling Vireo 4
American Crow 5
Common Raven 4
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Bank Swallow 6 Probably more. Four seen over flooded field south of
Twin Barns. One-two seen flying over freshwater marsh. Two birds foraging
in mud loosely associated with CLSW foraging on mud between Tower
Observation Platform and McAllister Creek/Medicine Creek Observation
Platform.
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 3
Purple Martin 9 Luhr Beach Martín Gourds.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3 West Bank of McAllister Creek.
Barn Swallow (American) 45
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 50 McAllister Creek Viewing Platform
has many. One at Visitor Center Pond Overlook.
Bushtit (Pacific) 4
Brown Creeper 3
Marsh Wren 15
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 7
European Starling 300
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed) 36 Heard and seen. Counted
individually. Likely more.
American Robin 20
Cedar Waxwing 67
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 15
Chipping Sparrow 1 Visitor Center Kiosk
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 8
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 44
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Bullock's Oriole 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 50
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
Common Yellowthroat 8
Northern Yellow Warbler 50
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 6
