Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I checked a few locations between the Nisqually NWR and Bowerman Basin with our main highlight of the day being the 2 lingering Pink-footed Geese observed at 1:30pm upon our immediate arrival to the western portion of the large,open fields at the end of "K" Street in Hoquiam. Both birds were present with 2 Greater White-fronted Geese amongst a flock of nearby Canada Geese,which had been observed by several other birders before our arrival at this location. We presume there are still plenty of birders searching for the 2 Pink-footed Geese on a daily basis even if there are just a few reports advertised. We encountered fairly heavy rain showers in the general Hoquiam area to Brady Loop Rd.,which we checked on our way home with clearing to Nisqually NWR. We checked the Nisqually NWR to and from our destinations with our first visit made at 11:30am and our return visit made between 4:15pm-4:45pm with a walk made to the Twin Barns. The 2 Ross' Geese were observed amongst a large "Cackling"Canada Goose flock during our morning visit beginning along the southbound Nisqually Exit off I-5 on ramp in a large mowed field at the entrance to Nisqually NWR,where they remained during our entire visit. The birds were not observed during our evening visit,but we ran into birders who had observed both birds along the McAllister Creek trail. We were unable to relocate the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper along with any additional shorebirds in the flooded areas near the twin Barns during both visits. Our other highlights noted at the Nisqually NWR during our evening visit included a single immature Trumpeter Swan foraging and swimming within the expansive flooded area immediately west of the main parking lot and up to 4 Short-eared Owls observed from the Twins Barns,as they hunted together with just a few nearby Northern Harriers. As mentioned we checked several other areas during the day primarily on our way home from Bowerman Basin including along the entire Brady Loop Rd. complex, Moore Rd. near Satsop, and Wenzel Slough/Keys Rd.south of Satsop. Our main highlight occurred along Brady Loop Rd.,where we observed 4 Redheads(previously reported by Tim O'Brien yesterday in his Tweeters posting)and 2 light-morph Rough-legged Hawks observed at two locations within the Brady Loop Rd. complex. We located up to 28 Black-bellied Plovers along with 5 Dunlin observed foraging on earthworms within the large plowed corn field at the intersection of Foster Rd. and Brady Loop Rd. Other highlights noted during the day included the following:

Canvasback
68 at the Hoquiam STP

Redhead
1 female at the Hoquiam STP

Ring-necked Duck
32+ at the Hoquiam STP
24 at the eastern portion of Vance Creek Co. Park along Wenzel Slough Rd.
14 at the Nisqually NWR

Surf Scoter
18 at the Hoquiam STP

Common Goldeneye
11 at the Hoquiam STP

Hooded Merganser
14 at the Hoquiam STP

Northern Harrier
3 along Brady Loop Rd.
10 at the Nisqually NWR

Cooper's Hawk
1 at Hoquiam
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Am.Kestrel
1 along I-5 at the Hwy.512 interchange(Pierce Co.)
1 along Hwy.12 at Keys Rd. near Satsop

Peregrine Falcon
1 adult at the Nisqually NWR

Black-bellied Plover
18 at the Bowerman Basin/Hoquiam Airport
28 along Brady Loop Rd.
14+ along Hwy.101 at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.

Semipalmated Plover
13 at the Hoquiam STP(with 1 Least Sandpiper)

Wilson's Snipe
8 along Brady Loop Rd.

Mourning Dove
65+ along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd. near Satsop

Western Scrub Jay
1 along I-5 at Tillicum,Pierce Co.
1 along Hw.12 near Elma(east of Schouweiler Rd.)
1 along Hwy.12 at Satsop
2 along Hwy.12 at Brady

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Western Meadowlark
1 along Hwy.12 at Satsop
15+ at the Nisqually NWR



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net






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