Subject: Nisqually NWR Oct 1, 2000
Date: Oct 1 18:54:58 2000
From: birdersteve - birdersteve at home.com


Greetings All!

I walked the entire Brown Farm Dike Trail this morning and saw quite a few interesting birds. The tide was high and the sun was shining - very pleasant day. Appears that waterfowl and raptors are on the move with good variety of both seen today. Species of note include:

GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE - 63
"LESSER" CANADA GOOSE 18 (not positive on the ID, they were smaller then the resident race and larger then cackling)
EURASIAN WIGEON -1 male in large flock of Americans near the tower.
TURKEY VULTURE - 1
NORTHERN HARRIER - 8 (6 seen hunting the marshes at the same time!)
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK - 1
RED-TAILED HAWK - 3 (including 1 immature dark morph)
PEREGRINE FALCON - 2 adults (1 pale male and 1 dark female -judging by size) The female was chasing a flock of six WHIMBREL
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY - 1 (only the second time I've seen this species here. First seen along the Nisqually River near the barns, later I saw it in the parking lot)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW -1 (at Ring Dike Trail)
PURPLE FINCH - 29

CEDAR WAXWINGS (140) were everywhere. Some lingering swallows included CLIFF (7) and BARN (3). Good numbers of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (39) and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS (34). One huge flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (65) at the barns. -numbers in ( ) indicate count numbers.

NOTE: Three miles of the Brown Farm Dike Trail will be closed from October 7 through January 21, 2001. So if you want to do the entire loop get out soon!


GOOD BIRDING!!

Steve Nord
Lacey, WA
birdersteve at home.com