Date: 9/17/26 1:00 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 9/17/2026.
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 40 of us had a beautiful last day of Summer Walk at the
Refuge with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50's to 70's degrees
Fahrenheit. There was a High 11'10" Tide at 10:31am so we followed our
routine route. Highlights included significant bird activity in the
morning, featuring migration and song (perhaps the autumnal recrudescence
of the amatory urge). The Orchard yielded migrating OLIVE-SIDED
FLYCATCHER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, HUTTON'S VIREO and RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH (species typically difficult to find on the Refuge). Numerous
CEDAR WAXWING and PURPLE FINCH were seen along the Access Road. The group
had great views of VIRGINIA RAIL on the west side of the Twin Barns Loop
Trail 100 feet south of the Twin Barns cut-off on the inside of the trail.
The Twin Barns Overlook offered good views of migrating warblers including
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER. The dike or Nisqually
Estuary Trail was great for shorebirds, including expected SEMI-PALMATED
PLOVERS, WESTERN SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. We
observed three falcon species: AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN and PEREGRINE
FALCON. Most of the group had nice views of the WILSON'S SNIPE in the
freshwater marsh. In the morning before the walk there was a large flock
of over 20 EVENING GROSBEAKS in the riparian forest around the big Douglas
Fir near the center of the Visitor Center Pond. We also had a couple of
brief flyovers of First of Year AMERICAN PIPIT.
For the day we totaled 81 species, including the first of the year AMERICAN
PIPIT, we now have seen 163 species this year. Check out our eBird Report
pasted below for further details.
Other sightings included Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, Townsend's Chipmunk,
Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Harbor Seal, a Townsend's Vole being
ingested by a Great Blue Heron, and many Common Green Darners.
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
Sep 16, 2026 6:49 AM - 5:08 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.389 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday walk. Sunny with temperatures in the
50’s to 70’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 11’10” Tide at 10:31am. Others
seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Columbian
Black-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Pacific Chorus Frog, Red-legged Frog, Common
Green Darner, and Harbor Seal.
81 species (+4 other taxa)
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 24
Wood Duck 13 Visitor Center Pond.
American Wigeon 45
Mallard 75
Northern Pintail 150
Green-winged Teal (American) 15
Hooded Merganser 6 Shannon slough.
Common Merganser (North American) 2 Nisqually River.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 50
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 16 Peregrine Tree or Douglas Fir in
center of Visitor Center Pond.
Mourning Dove 1
Anna's Hummingbird 3
hummingbird sp. 1
Virginia Rail 2 One showing very well for entire group on the inside
of the west side Twin Barns Loop Trail south of Twin Barns cut-off.
Killdeer 4
Semipalmated Plover 9 Mudflats west of Leschi Slough and north of
Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Wilson's Snipe 1 Freshwater marsh.
Spotted Sandpiper 1 West side of McAllister Creek.
Greater Yellowlegs 40
Least Sandpiper 200
Western Sandpiper 100
Ring-billed Gull 250
Western Gull 1
California Gull 5
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Larus sp. 500
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Brandt's Cormorant 4 Nisqually River channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 25
Cooper's Hawk 1 Spotted by Ken.
Northern Harrier 2
Bald Eagle 8
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-breasted Sapsucker (ruber) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 6
American Kestrel (Northern) 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 Orchard.
Willow Flycatcher 2
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 2
Western Warbling Vireo 4
Steller's Jay (Coastal) 3
California Scrub-Jay 9
American Crow 50
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 30
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Barn Swallow (American) 8
Bushtit (Pacific) 60
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Red-breasted Nuthatch 6
Brown Creeper 6
Marsh Wren 3
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 4
European Starling 250
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed) 1
American Robin (migratorius Group) 25
Cedar Waxwing 30
American Pipit 4
Evening Grosbeak 25
Purple Finch (Western) 8
Red Crossbill 4
American Goldfinch 15
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 2
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 10
Golden-crowned Sparrow 25
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 6
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 22
Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 200
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 3
Common Yellowthroat 10
Northern Yellow Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1
Townsend's Warbler 1 Spotted by Pat at Twin Barns Observation Platform.
Western Tanager 2
