Subject: Nisqually migrants; 28 April 2004
Date: Apr 29 00:37:32 2004
From: Charlie Wright - charlie at birdwright.com
Greetings everyone,
I had a really good time birding a couple places in the South Sound today
along with Carol Schulz, basically Nisqually (we walked the entire 5 mile
loop) with a few stops in the Kent Valley and then in Des Moines in the
evening. The refuge was simply teeming with birds, I believe my single
highest day total for there so far. Superb shorebird habitat can be scanned
from the McAllister Creek trail right now; I recommend anyone interested go
out now before the water levels change again. There were hundreds of peeps
in every patch of suitable habitat. In the willows along the dike and the
boardwalk we had a few waves of several warbler species.
Wednesday, 28 April 2004 (8:00am-8:00pm).
Thurston, Pierce, King County (107 species).
Mostly sunny; light breeze; 45-71? F.
NISQUALLY NWR (8:45am-4:45pm): 97 species here alone!!
Brant (6)-Nisqually delta.
Wood Duck (5)
American Wigeon (200)
Blue-winged Teal (4): one pair, two seperate males.
Cinnamon Teal (10m.)
Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal hybrid (1): Nice male, in pond along McAllister
Ck w/pure CITE male; resembled CITE but paler in overall color, large white
facial crescent, polka dotted scapulars.
Northern Pintail (12)
Greater Scaup (2)-Nisqually delta.
Red-breasted Merganser (7)-Nisqually delta.
Horned Grebe (5)-alternate plumage.
American Bittern (3): All pumping along McAllister Ck trail mid-day.
Osprey (2)-Nisqually River and delta.
Northern Harrier (6: 4m., 2f.)
American Kestrel (1m.)
Peregrine Falcon (1): Morning pass of the seasonal ponds got the peeps up.
Virginia Rail (1)-heard only.
Sora (7)-heard only.
Greater Yellowlegs (16)
Lesser Yellowlegs (9)
Solitary Sandpiper (2-3): One heard near Visitors Center; two in ponds along
McAllister Ck seen very well.
Spotted Sandpiper (1)
Western Sandpiper (250): Large flock in saltmarsh in northeast corner; very
large flock all along McAllister Creek trail ponds.
Least Sandpiper (120): Scattered in with most of the Western flocks, also a
few large flocks consisting mainly of these.
Dunlin (60)-chiefly in alternate plumage.
Short-billed Dowitcher (8)-foraging in ponds along McAllister Creek.
Long-billed Dowitcher (2)
Wilson's Snipe (4)
Bonaparte's Gull (22): About half in alternate plumage.
Caspian Tern (15)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (1)-calling along Nisqually River trail.
Warbling Vireo (4)-my first of the year in Washington, singing.
Purple Martin (12)-flying around Luhr Beach and over estuary.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
Hermit Thrush (1)
American Pipit (70): Mixed with peeps on saltmarsh and ponds areas.
Cedar Waxwing (12)
Orange-crowned Warbler (40): Some very conspicuous flocks moving around
along the outer dike, a couple flocks of a dozen or more.
Yellow Warbler (20)-singing everywhere.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (25): 100% Myrtle.
Black-throated Grey Warbler (1)-across McAllister Ck.
MacGillivray's Warbler (1m.)-Brown Farm Dike, E of viewing platform.
Wilson's Warbler (12)
Lincoln's Sparrow (5)
--------
Anise Swallowtail (10)
Cabbage White (6)
Margined White (4)
Spring Azure (1)
Satyr Anglewing (1)
Lorquin's Admiral (6)
--------
EMERALD DOWNS/M STREET, AUBURN (5:15-5:30)
Green-winged Teal (44)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)
Greater Yellowlegs (3)
Western Sandpiper (12)
Least Sandpiper (25)
Dunlin (10)
Wilson's Snipe (3)
American Pipit (60)
BOEING PONDS, KENT (6:00-6:30)
Cinnamon Teal (1m.)
Greater Yellowlegs (1)
Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
DES MOINES CREEK PARK (7:00-8:00)
Barred Owl (3)
Black-throated Grey Warbler (1)
Wilson's Warbler (1)
Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner Washington
charlie at birdwright.com