Date: 9/3/26 12:01 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 9/2/2026
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us had a wild windy and wet Wednesday at the Refuge,
experiencing overcast skies, sun breaks, wind and rain. Temperatures were
in the 50's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a High 11'6" Tide at
10:16am and a Low 5'10" Tide at 3:45pm. Highlights included two TRUMPETER
SWANS flying over the Visitor Center Pond, two HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER along
the Access Road and west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, First of Year
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER along the west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, two
PEREGRINE FALCON hunting shorebirds during high tide, 85 AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN retreating from the foul weather and flying into Shannon Slough,
one SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER feeding on the mudflats with WESTERN SANDPIPER
(over 1000), LEAST SANDPIPER and SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, one SORA and two
VIRGINIA RAIL foraging out in the open; one AMERICAN BITTERN and three
WILSON'S SNIPE foraging in the freshwater marsh, and finally a really cool
GREEN HERON continuing in the riparian forest along the west side of the
Twin Barns Loop Trail about 100 feet south of the Twin Barns cut-off.
For the day we observed 73 species. With the FOY Townsend's Warbler, we
have now seen 160 species thus far this year. The weather provided some
very interesting bird behavior and numerous wonderful sightings. For more
details, check out our eBird Report pasted below.
Other sightings included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend's Chipmunk,
Muskrat, Harbor Seal, a Garter Snake being ingested by a Great Blue Heron
and good numbers of Pacific Chorus Frog.
Until next time when we meet again at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at
8am. Be well, and happy birding,
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Sep 2, 2026 6:37 AM - 5:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.705 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with sun breaks. Windy late
morning with intermittent showers by mid day and into afternoon.
Temperatures in the 50’s to 60’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 11’6” Tide at
10:16am and a Low 5’10” Tide at 3:45pm. Others seen Eastern Cotton-tailed
Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Muskrat, Harbor
Seal, American Bullfrog, Pacific Chorus Frog, Garter Snake.
73 species (+5 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 4
Trumpeter Swan 2 Spotted by Jim at start of the walk, flying west over
the Visitor Center Pond Overlook, an adult and juvenile with vocalization.
Wood Duck 3
Cinnamon Teal (Northern) 1 Female. Freshwater marsh.
American Wigeon 4
Mallard 30
Northern Pintail 125
Green-winged Teal (American) 2
Surf Scoter 1 Spotted by Matt flying over Refuge.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 12
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 16
Anna's Hummingbird 3
Virginia Rail 3 One heard. Great views of two birds foraging in the
freshwater marsh across from the entrance to the Nisqually Estuary
Boardwalk Trail
Sora 1 Spotted by Jim and seen well in freshwater marsh across from
the entrance to the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
American Coot 1
Killdeer 9
Semipalmated Plover 12 Seen from the Nisqually Estuary Trail and
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail on the mudflats west of Leschi Slough.
Wilson's Snipe 3 Freshwater marsh on the inside of the Nisqually
Estuary Trail.
Greater Yellowlegs 26
Baird's Sandpiper 1 Spotted and heard by Heather from the mudflats
west of Leschi Slough along the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Least Sandpiper 100
Western Sandpiper 1100 Observed in several roaming flocks of 50-300
birds coalescing into larger groups covering the mudflats west of Leschi
Slough. Counted in clusters of 50-100 birds either observed in binoculars
or through a spotting scope. Estimated 1000 birds on the mudflats between
Leschi Slough and the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail at one time.
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Spotted foraging among WESA and LESA on
mudflats adjacent to the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail north of the
McAllister/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform.
Short-billed Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 150
California Gull 10
Glaucous-winged Gull 4
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 6
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Larus sp. 200
Caspian Tern 40
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Visitor Center Pond.
Brandt's Cormorant 5 Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 60
American Bittern 1 Spotted by Kirsten in the freshwater marsh.
Green Heron 1 Continuing along the Twin Barns Loop Trail along the
west side approximately 100 feet south of the Twin Barns Cut off.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 30
American White Pelican 85 Counted individually. Flew into the Refuge
and landed in Shannon Slough, then flew to edge of Refuge near Animal
Slough or Six Gill Slough, then flew again towards the mouth of the
Nisqually River.
Cooper's Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 7
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 7
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 5
Peregrine Falcon 2
Western Wood-Pewee 2
Hammond's Flycatcher 2 Along the Access Roads and west side of Twin
Barns Loop Trail.
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 2 One spotted by Faith on the path between
the Orchard and Land Trust Building.
Western Warbling Vireo 1 Heard by Matt along the access roads.
California Scrub-Jay 1
American Crow 12
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 8
Bank Swallow 1
Violet-green Swallow 6
Tree/Violet-green Swallow 1
Barn Swallow (American) 200
Cliff Swallow 1 Spotted by Janel in the freshwater marsh.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 6
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 6
European Starling 100
Swainson's Thrush 8
American Robin (migratorius Group) 16
Cedar Waxwing 4
Red Crossbill 12 Heard and seen.
American Goldfinch 26
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 4
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 10
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1 Spotted in the Orchard.
Common Yellowthroat 12
Northern Yellow Warbler 3
Townsend's Warbler 1 Spotted by Janel and Matt on the west side of the
Twin Barns Loop Trail.
new world warbler sp. 1
