Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded a few locations in Thurston Co. beginning with a short visit to the Nisqually NWR,then onto the Olympia Regional Airport,then a stop made on our way home to Luhr Beach at Nisqually Head during incoming tide at Nisqually Reach. We encountered a fair amount of rain showers,being heavy at times but we were able to locate a few notable species for the day. Most noteworthy were up to 22 "Streaked"Horned Larks at the Olympia Regional Airport, of which most birds were still in flocks and not observed to be paired up for nesting or breeding. The birds were all observed from accessible areas along the northern portion of the airport. Other notable species observed at the Olympia Regional Airport include the following:

1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Am.Kestrel
6 Savannah Sparrows
14 Western Meadowlarks

Our morning visit to Nisqually NWR produced a few species that we did not encounter the rest of the day with a short walk along the McAllister Creek Trail from the main parking lot,but we left as soon as a very heavy rain shower began. The flooded areas on both sides of the trail leading out to McAllister Creek were fairly heavily covered by good numbers of both Violet-green and Tree Swallows and up to 14 Barn Swallows(consisting of both adult and immature birds). Highlights that were encountered included the following:

4(2 pair)of Cinnamon Teal
1 female Eurasian Wigeon
2 Dunlin(including one bird in near breeding plumage)
2 Wilson's Snipe
1 Am.Pipit

1 young Coyote roaming the main parking lot

Our last stop of the day was made at Luhr Beach,where we encountered a few noteworthy additions away from good numbers of waterfowl foraging off Nisqually Reach consisting mostly of distant Am.Wigeon,Gadwall,Green-winged Teal,and Northern Pintail with good numbers of foraging "Black"Brant closer to shore. Highlights that were noted at this location included:

6 Eared Grebes(with relatively good numbers of nearby Horned Grebes)
1 male Harlequin Duck
3 Black Scoters(amongst good numbers of Surf and White-winged Scoters)
450+ Dunlin(foraging on the Nisqually Delta)
3 Common Murres
1 Rhino.Auklet


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net