Hello Tweets,

This afternoon my mother and I spent a few hours checking a areas including the Nisqually NWR and a brief stop made on our way home at Luhr Beach at Nisqually Head between 12pm-2:30pm. Although the weather remained very wet we located a few highlights,despite not being able to relocate the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper reported yesterday by Dave Hayden. Due to recent heavy rains vast areas continue to hold flooded areas along with large flooded areas that hosted very large numbers of grazing waterfowl primarily north of the Twins Barns. We arrived at the Nisqually NWR at 12pm and walked a portion of McAllister Creek trail from the main parking lot checking the flooded areas on both sides of the trail immediately west of the headquarters,then a walk was made to the Twin Barns overlook. We managed to relocate the immature Barn Swallow that was previously reported by observers last weekend,which was actively foraging over the flooded area west of the main parking lot during our entire visit. The 2 Ross' Geese were observed in flight upon a flurry of waterfowl that were flushed by 2 separate Bald Eagles,as we approached the Twin Barns from the south,then the 2 Ross' Geese were later observed grazing in a large grassy field west of the Twin Barns amongst a flock of Canada Geese. One of the 2 adult Bald Eagles was observed feeding on the remains of a recent catch in the tall cluster of Black Cottonwood trees immediately south of the Twin Barns,which was presumably a female duck,while an adult Peregrine Falcon was noted perched atop a dead snag near the main parking lot,as it soaked in the rain. A list of additional noted species observed during our visit to the Nisqually NWR include the following:

6 male Eurasian Wigeon
8 Ring-necked Ducks
4 Northern Harriers
8 Red-tailed Hawks(including the lingering adult dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk)
1 dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk
25 Dunlin


On our way home we drove to Luhr Beach and briefly checked the open saltwater as conditions seemed to improve slightly with a few noted species to add to our day list including the following:

1 Red-throated Loon
3 Eared Grebes


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net
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