Subject: Red-shouldered Hawk at Nisqually NWR
Date: Dec 26 16:55:49 2000
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I ventured to Nisqually NWR in northern Thurston Co.,
mainly in search of the immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and 2 AM.TREE SPARROWS.
The weather was favorable, with mostly cloudy skies, with a trace of rain,
and NO wind, but increasing cloudiness late. We arrived at 10:30am at the
main parking lot, where we were joined by Larry Goldstein of Olympia, the
WOS editor, where we all headed north towards the Ring Dike Trail. Upon
arriving at the north arm of the Ring Dike Trail at 11:30am, we located the
immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK roosting in a extensive stand of alder trees,
within the "closed" area, as we scoped the bird looking to the NE. The bird
was perched, and viewed well for at least 1 hour, but NO photographes were
taken, due to the distance. The bird was later observed and photographed at
1pm from a closer distance, and a different location, within the same
vicinity. Due to the north arm of the main refuge trail being CLOSED,
observations of this hawk is still possible, but limited, as noted in
earlier observations, with enough persistance.

The day overall was good for raptors, with 9 species including:

5 BALD EAGLES
13 NORTHERN HARRIERS
1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
3 COOPER'S HAWKS
1 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
19 RED-TAILED HAWKS(high)
1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
1 PEREGRINE FALCON
2 SHORT-EARED OWLS

The remainder of our visit was spent searching for the two AM.TREE SPARROWS
along the west trail to McAllister Creek, where they were located and well
viewed together, with nearby White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and Song
Sparrows, in brambles along the north side of the trail in same vicinity, as
located yesterday by Steve Nord.

Other notable highlights during our visit included:

2 RED-THROATED LOONS
3 PACIFIC LOONS
1 EURASIAN WIGEON(in a flooded field on the Pierce Co. side of the Nisqually
River)
22 LEAST SANDPIPERS
280 Dunlin
3 WESTERN GULLS
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
5 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS
14 Purple Finches

Mammals:

1 COYOTE
1 California Sea Lion along the Nisqually River(inland)

Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net