Subject: Semipalmated Sandpiper at the Nisqually NWR
Date: May 12 16:36:13 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent a few hours checking several Thurston Co. locations beginning at the Nisqually NWR between 9am-11:30am with a walk made along the McAllister Creek trail north to the available shorebird habitat south of the photo blind followed by a return walk made to the Twin Barns. Our main highlight was a single adult Semipalmated Sandpiper observed in the shorebird habitat south of the photo blind along the McAllister Creek trail. The bird was associating with a single adult Western Sandpiper for good comparisons,which lacked the noticeable drooping bill,rusty tones on the back and forehead,and overall brighter plumage of the latter species. The Semipalmated Sandpiper was not encountered at this location upon walking towards the photo blind bridge deck,as we initially observed a single adult Pectoral Sandpiper at this location and no other shorebirds besides several Killdeer. As we made a return walk carefully scoping and checking ALL the available mudflats we spotted two "peeps" at the same location where we located the Pectoral Sandpiper,which was still present feeding nearby. It was within seconds that we separated the duller Semipalmated Sandpiper from the Western Sandpiper,as the two shorebirds mainly foraged together along the edge of the mudflats with the Western Sandpiper being more deliberate in it's feeding behavior. It was a good sighting although it would have been nice to watch the Semipalmated Sandpiper much closer like the single bird we had along the McAllister Creek trail at very close range on the 19th of July,2002. It is always a highlight to encounter this species and Pectoral Sandpiper in spring migration,as we came up with a total of 15 Pectoral Sandpiper during our visit and despite not relocating the Yellow-breasted Chat or the Vesper Sparrow previously reported by Jason Paulios and Keith Brady yesterday we had a good time.

We began walking out along the McAllister Creek trail from the main parking lot and immediately located 4 Pectoral Sandpiper foraging in the partially flooded area south of the main trail amongst 2 Western Sandpipers and 3 Greater Yellowlegs(including the remaining injured bird),then upon scoping the muddy area to the north we located 2 additional Pectoral Sandpiper feeding in a more grassy/muddy area. We continued towards the photo blind and located our 7th Pectoral Sandpiper of the day,which foraged mainly alone,as we walked as far north as the wooden bench just south of the newly constructed boardwalk to the photo blind. Upon walking back towards the main parking lot we located the adult Semipalmated Sandpiper in the muddy area(south of the photo blind and north of the drainage culvert),but overall shorebird diversity at this location was very limited. We continued back to the parking lot and walked to the Twin Barns,but conditions at that location were additionally very slow,as we decided to check the flooded area along the McAllister Creek trail one more time,which hosted 6 Pectoral Sandpipers in the partially flooded area south of the trail and 8 Pectoral Sandpipers observed north of the trail in the more grassy/muddy area. Perhaps there could be more Pectoral Sandpipers with further searching,but we felt rewarded with 15 birds for the day. A list of our main highlights noted at the Nisqually NWR included the following:

1 Am.Bittern
14 Wood Ducks
7 Green-winged Teal
1 pair of Northern Pintail
2 Blue-winged Teal
14 Cinnamon Teal
3 pair of Northern Shovelers
4 Gadwall
3 female Hooded Mergansers(with 1 female observed with 6 young)
1 Common Merganser
1 male Am.Kestrel
1 Virginia Rail
1 Sora
11 Greater Yellowlegs
2 Spotted Sandpipers
3 Whimbrel(observed flying over the Twin Barns heading southeast)
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
48 Western Sandpipers
15 Pectoral Sandpipers
13 Dunlin
2 male Wilson's Phalaropes
7 Caspian Terns
1 Mourning Dove
8 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
2 Cedar Waxwings
5 Warbling Vireos
15 Yellow Warblers
8 Western Tanagers
11 Black-headed Grosbeaks
1 male Bullock's Oriole
4 Purple Finches
3 Evening Grosbeaks


After birding the Nisqually NWR we worked our way to Luhr Beach with a check made along Orion Drive NE(accessed off of Meridian Rd.),which was very productive for passerines,which included the following species of note:

3 Olive-sided Flycatchers
2 House Wrens
3 Orange-crowned Warblers
5 Yellow-rumped Warblers
2 MacGillivray's Warblers
3 Wilson's Warblers
3 Western Tanagers

We arrived at Luhr Beach during "slack"tide at 12:15pm,where it seemed slow and birdless until we made extensive scoping all of Nisqually Reach and just a small portion of the Nisqually Delta to the east. We had a fairly good assortment of waterbirds away from up to 6 Purple Martins that we observed coming in from high above. Noteworthy species at this location included the following:

3 Pacific Loons
1 Common Loon
10 Horned Grebes
12 Gadwall
26 Am.Wigeon
1 pair of Greater Scaup
1 pair of Bufflehead
15 Ring-billed Gulls
17 Caspian Terns
6 Pigeon Guillemots
1 Marbled Murrelet
3 Rhinoceros Auklets

We headed south along I-5 at Olympia ,where a single flyover Western Scrub Jay was noted and before heading home we decided to check the Black Lake Meadows near Black Lake at 1:15pm,which was very overgrown with many plantings. A few highlight species noted at this location included the following:

2 calling California Quail(heard only)
2 Vaux's Swift
3 Red-breasted Sapsuckers
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
5 Yellow Warblers
1 Black-throated Gray Warbler
2 Wilson's Warblers
2 Western Tanagers
13 Black-headed Grosbeaks
5 Purple Finches


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net