Tweeters, this morning I spent about 3 hours walking the inner loop and
trail to McAllister Creek at the Nisqually NWR in Thurston County. I got to
see the BARN OWL that was found a few days ago. Directions for this bird
are: When facing the front of the visitor's center, take the boardwalk
trail to your right; after passing the large laurel hedges you will see a
"Habitat restoration" sign on the right side of the boardwalk; look left
"north" towards where the Reach would be; there is a large white dead tree
trunk; look past this close tree to another dead white tree in the
background; there is an obvious hole here. You will want a scope. Others
saw the Great Horned owlets, but I missed them today. The Starlings were
doing some amazing impressions today, I heard "House Finch" deep in the
Big-leaf Maple forest (missing some of the buzziness and often ending with
starling upslurs), "W. Meadowlark" by the Twin Barns (where I have seen the
species before), and some "Kestrel" here as well (though I hear this a lot
and wonder if maybe it isn't just part of their normal vocalizations).

Other notable sightings:
Cackling Goose
7 G. White-fronted Geese (1 w/ USFW band)
6 Wood Duck
8 Cinnamon Teal
2 R/N Duck
1 A. Bittern (pond on the south side of the trail to McAllister after the
first large willow clump)
2 Sora (pond on the north side of this trail at the first willow clump)
1 Virginia Rail (near McAllister Creek)
3 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs (seen from Twin Barns platform)
1 Bonaparte's Gull (adult in breeding plumage on pond on north side of trail
to McAllister; strange locale)
2 R/B Sapsucker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
Y/R Warbler (3 Audubon's/ many Myrtles)
5 O/C Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
4 G/C Sparrow
2 Purple Finch (McAllister Creek)

Red Crossbills heard again in my yard in NE Olympia today too.

Jason Paulios
Jpaulios at earthlink.net
Olympia, WA