Tweeters, Keith Brady and I made a quick run through the interior boardwalk
of Nisqually this early AM before the rains fell. We decided to start in
the forest section since the ponds are quickly becoming puddles...eventually
to become dirt. Bird song and activity was almost nil until we reached the
small grove of Big-Leaf Maples by the Twin Barns. Here were masses of
Yellow-Rumped Warblers (a good mix of both subspecies) and one singing
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (our first of the spring) which was quickly sent
packing by a rambunctious Y/Rumped. Also here were the two C/B Chickadees
which seem to breed there every year (they can be hard to get on the refuge
after the winter birds disperse). Common Yellowthroats were...common.
Heard the now-very-vocal SORA over by the willow patch in the first pond off
McAllister Creek Trail and also heard a VIRGINIA RAIL "kidick-ing" along the
boardwalk (near the R/B Sapsucker nest tree). Shorebird numbers were
surprisingly good (though the very high tide probably helped) in the ponds
off the Twin Barns overlook. Decent numbers of G. YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN,
WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS foraging in the pond/mud puddles. All three
teal species were present in this pond too. The weird TREE SWALLOW is still
present at the nest box mounted to the end of the barn closest to the
boardwalk.

Luhr Beach didn't have much going on. A few distant R/T LOON and some very
close COMMON LOON. PURPLE MARTINS were at the nest boxes. HORNED GREBE, C.
GOLDENEYE, both expected SCOTERS, and R/B MERGANSER were still around.
Surprisingly large numbers of GREATER SCAUP were milling about. Bonaparte's
Gulls were doing distant shorebird imitations way out in the passage. Also
Keith spotted our first CASPIAN TERN for the year, I couldn't believe that
it was silent since I'm so used to them announcing their presence.

Now for the rant (move on to the next message if you don't care about
Thurston County birding): I'm continually frustrated by the management
decisions that occur at this refuge. First the massive plantings (as if any
open space is bad for animals, also they seem to have abandoned their
original plantings and forgotten all the plastic tubing), then the domestic
waterfowl (one of them nested with a resident Canada last year producing at
least 5 offspring with varying plumages, they are paired up again this
year), and now the mismanagement of the water levels. Each shorebird season
Nisqually loses large numbers of these birds due to the lack of decent
freshwater ponds. Last fall, just when things were picking up, they started
draining the ponds along McAllister in order to encourage vegetation growth
(can't this wait two weeks?) for the Wigeon parade and now they seen to have
failed to consider the drought conditions we are facing. I'm fairly sure
the first two ponds are not able to be regulated, and this is fine, but the
areas along McAllister Creek used to be excellent and are now way overgrown
and lacking decent water levels (though I swear I can hear the water being
drained near the culverts). I may be way off on my claims, but I'm just
discouraged that they seem to have no concerns for those shorebirds that
prefer freshwater (not to mention those that may like more cover, which the
Reach doesn't offer). When I asked last fall about their water level
decisions a volunteer told me that shorebirds preferred to use the
mudflats...hmm...no wonder I never see Baird's, Semipalmated, or Pectoral
Sandpipers in Thurston County.

Jason Paulios
Jpaulios at earthlink.net
Olympia, WA