Tweets,

Sorry for the late report, but on Saturday I led a Black Hills Audubon Field
Trip to Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. 12 of us started the day at 8:00 AM and
most were still with us at 3:00 when we finished the loop.

All told we saw 59 species beginning with lots of TREE SWALLOWS behind the
Visitor's Center. There were also a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS thrown in. Our
last bird was a PILEATED WOODPECKER, in front of the Visitor's Center, as we
completed the loop.

Highlights included the trifecta on MERGANSERS, HOODED on the pond behind the
Visitor's Center, COMMON from the Nisqually River overlook, and RED-BREASTED
on McAllister Creek. Another highlight was a feeding AMERICAN BITTERN at the
Ring Dike. DOWNEY WOODPECKERS seemed to be everywhere, with at least 6 being
seen. The GREAT HORNED OWL was on his roost near the junction of the
boardwalk on the Nisqually side and the turn off to the Twin Barns. We saw an
EURASIAN WIGEON behind the Twin Barns and had a female RUDDY DUCK from the
photo blind on the McAllister Creek side. We also saw a LESSER YELLOWLEGS on
the McAllister Creek side out toward the sound.

On the down side we were told that BRANT were seen that morning, but by the
time we got out to the sound overlook areas all we could see was
mudflats...dead low tide. We saw a flock of shorebirds, but they were too far
out for positive ID.

All in all, a great day. The birds cooperated, the rain held off, and we had
a great group on the trip.

Phil Kelley
scrbjay at aol.com
(360) 459-1499

"We were few and they were many. Now we are many
and they are few."
Confucius