Date: 7/2/26 9:48 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for July 1st, 2026.
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 30 of us enjoyed a cool Wednesday Walk on this 1st of July at
the Refuge with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50's to 60's
degrees Fahrenheit. There was a Low -1'10" Tide at 1:18pm. Highlights
included active nesting of BARN SWALLOW/CEDAR WAXWING/BUSHTIT/WESTERN
WOOD-PEWEE/YELLOW WARBLER/RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD/AMERICAN GOLDFINCH/CLIFF
SWALLOW and BALD EAGLE, great views of PURPLE MARTIN over the fields south
of the Twin Barns; continued good numbers of BANK SWALLOW, continued good
views of GREEN HERON flying around the Twin Barns Overlook and the
slough/dike adjacent to the Twin Barns; a First of Year SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
spotted along the Nisqually Estuary Trail, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE feeding young
in the Orchard early in the morning, and the autumnal return of good
numbers of LEAST SANDPIPER and WESTERN SANDPIPER to the surge plain and
mudflats early in the morning during the high tide (11'03" AT 6:01AM).
Good numbers of CLIFF SWALLOW chicks were still in their mudhuts at the
McAllister Creek Observation Platform.
For the day we observed 68 species. With the FOY Sharp-shinned Hawk, we
now have observed 152 species this year. See our eBird Report pasted below
for additional details.
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
Jul 1, 2026 6:08 AM - 4:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.258 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy with temperatures in
the 50’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low -1’10” Tide at 1:18pm. Others
seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Muskrat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer,
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Harbor Seal. Also seen American Bullfrog, Pacific
Forktail Damselfly.
68 species (+4 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 50
Wood Duck 16 Visitor Center Pond.
Cinnamon Teal 1 Freshwater marsh.
Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal 1
Mallard 20
Ring-necked Duck 2 Seen by Ellen and Jon in Visitor Center Pond.
Hooded Merganser 2 Visitor Center Pond.
Common Merganser (North American) 3 Nisqually River.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 21
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 8
Mourning Dove 5
Rufous Hummingbird 9 Nest above Twin Bench Overlook on west side of
Twin Barns Loop Trail south of Twin Barns cut off.
Virginia Rail 4 Heard only. Freshwater marsh.
Sora 1 Heard only.
Killdeer 12
Greater Yellowlegs 6
Least Sandpiper 200 Surge plain and mudflats north of Nisqually
Estuary Trail at 7am during hide tide.
Western Sandpiper 50
Ring-billed Gull 50
California Gull 30
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 10
gull sp. 50
Caspian Tern 22
Brandt's Cormorant 7 Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 60
Green Heron 1 Seen flying over the slough adjacent to the Twin Barns
and the surge plain.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 115
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Spotted by Al on the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Bald Eagle 46 Occupied nest with two young on West Bank of McAllister
Creek north of McAllister Creek/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform.
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 9
Western Wood-Pewee 6
Willow Flycatcher 2
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 2
Western Warbling Vireo 1 Orchard.
Steller's Jay 2 Heard along the West Bank of McAllister Creek.
American Crow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Bank Swallow 10 Counted individually. Three to four observed just west
of west parking lot. Five to six observed south of the Twin Barns later in
the morning. Four to five seen over the freshwater marsh. An additional
three seen on the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail along Shannon Slough.
Suspect approximately 10 birds.
Tree Swallow 20
Violet-green Swallow 1
Purple Martin 6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Northern) 3
Barn Swallow (American) 50
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 80
Bushtit (Pacific) 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Brown Creeper 6
Marsh Wren 15
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 2
European Starling 80
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed) 39
American Robin (migratorius Group) 26
Cedar Waxwing 20
Purple Finch (Western) 6
Red Crossbill 1
American Goldfinch 38
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 2
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 4
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 31
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Bullock's Oriole 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 80
Brown-headed Cowbird 24 Being fed by Willow Flycatcher.
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1
Common Yellowthroat 5
Northern Yellow Warbler 35
