Date: 6/25/26 9:04 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 6/24/2026
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 30 of us enjoyed a beautiful warm spring day at the Refuge
with sunny skies and temperatures ranging from the 60's to 80's degrees
Fahrenheit. There was a Low 0''6" Tide at 9:04am and a High 10'7" Tide at
4:23pm so we walked our regular route. Highlights included occupied nests
of BARN SWALLOW, CEDAR WAXWING, BUSHTIT, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, DOWNY
WOODPECKER, YELLOW WARBLER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, CLIFF
SWALLOW and BALD EAGLE. We also observed recently fledged CHESTNUT-BACKED
CHICKADEE, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, WOOD DUCK, MALLARD, HOODED MERGANSER, BARN
SWALLOW, and COMMON MERGANSER. The bird of the day may have been an adult
GREEN HERON that flew over and around the Twin Barns Overlook while we took
a snack break.
For the day we observed 69 species with nothing new for the year. Please
see our eBird Report pasted below for additional details and
embedded photos.
One of our birders observed an AMERICAN ROBIN trying to eat a Western Brook
Lamprey from the Nisqually River Observation Platform along the riverbank.
We were surprised to hear of this species attempting to eat such large prey.
Until next week when we meet again at the Visitor Center Pond overlook at
8am. Happy birding,
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jun 24, 2026 6:06 AM - 3:54 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.457 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 60’s
to 80’s. A Low 0’6” Tide at 9:04am and a High 10’7” Tide at 4:23pm. Mammals
seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s
Chipmunk, Muskrat, and Harbor Seal. Others seen Western Brook Lamprey,
Pacific Chorus Frog, and American Bullfrog. Others seen Paddled-tailed
Darner, Red-veined Meadow Hawk, 8 Spotted Skimmer, and Western
Swallow-tailed Butterfly.
69 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 24
Wood Duck 15 Visitor Center Pond.
Cinnamon Teal (Northern) 1 Freshwater Marsh
Mallard 8 Visitor Center Pond.
Hooded Merganser 3 Visitor Center Pond.
Common Merganser (North American) 3 Nisqually River Overlook.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 10
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Rufous Hummingbird 8 Several nests west side of Twin Barns Loop Trail
between access road cut through and Twin Barns Cut-off.
Virginia Rail 2 Heard only. Freshwater marsh inside of Nisqually
Estuary Trail dike.
Killdeer 2
Wilson's Snipe 1 Seen flying over flooded field south of Twin Barns.
Rhinoceros Auklet 2 Scope views flying north between Nisqually Reach
and Anderson Island.
Ring-billed Gull 150
California Gull 225
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Caspian Tern 42
Brandt's Cormorant 5 Nisqually River Channel Marker
Double-crested Cormorant 120
Green Heron 1 Spotted by Jon and seen by all from Twin Barns Overlook
flying from slough adjacent to Twin Barns into the flooded field south of
Twin Barns Overlook.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 75
Turkey Vulture (Northern) 1 Soaring over McAllister Hill
Osprey (American) 1 Early morning hunting Shannon Slough seen between
6:15-6:30am.
Bald Eagle 16 Two brown young in nest on west bank of McAllister Creek
north of McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 2
Belted Kingfisher 5
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 6 Nest tree outside of west side Twin Barns
Loop Trail south of twin bench overlook south of Twin Barns cut-off.
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 4
Merlin 1
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 Heard by Brittany and seen by Barb in area
around Twin Barns.
Western Wood-Pewee 6 Nest in Willow Tree on inside of west side of
Twin Barns Loop Trail south of Twin Barns cut-off.
Willow Flycatcher 4
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 4
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 2
Western Warbling Vireo 3
Steller's Jay (Coastal) 1 Heard only west bank of McAllister Creek.
American Crow 3
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 7
Bank Swallow 3
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 1
Purple Martin 15
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Northern) 4
Barn Swallow (American) 98 Visitor Center Pond Overlook.
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 400 McAllister/Medicine Creek
Overlook.
Bushtit (Pacific) 6 Nest in Douglas Fir along entrance road across
from orchard and just to the right of the green gate across from the
Maintenance Building entrance road.
Brown Creeper 3
Marsh Wren 20
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 8
European Starling 100
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed) 40
American Robin (migratorius Group) 25
Cedar Waxwing 40 Nest in cottonwood tree to the left of the green gate
across the entrance road from the Maintenance Yard entrance road.
Purple Finch (Western) 6
American Goldfinch 18 Nest above Twin Barns Picnic Area.
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 3
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 31
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 10
Bullock's Oriole 1 Heard and seen along the north section of the Twin
Barns Loop Trail at 7am.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 60
Brown-headed Cowbird 25 One chick being fed by Song Sparrow.
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1
Common Yellowthroat 12
Northern Yellow Warbler 40 On nest on the outside of the west side
Twin Barns Loop Trail just south of the twin bench overlook south of the
Twin Barns cut-off.
Western Tanager 1 Heard only west bank of McAllister Creek.
Black-headed Grosbeak 3 Heard only.
