Tweets,

Today 7 of us walked Nisqually NWR between 8:15 AM and 1:45 PM under
generally high overcast until about 1:00 PM when the sun finally came out. All in
all we had a very good day, although we didn't see everything Patrick and Ruth
did. Must have arrived after we passed that area. Right!

Highlights of the day included the first ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS of the
year, and a male PURPLE MARTIN flying down McAllister Creek toward Luhr Beach. We
did see 5 GREAT HORNED OWLS, the adult and 3 young inside the boardwalk and
another adult outside the ring dike. We also had a small flock of AMERICAN
PIPITS near the first pond on the right on the way out to McAllister Creek.

As Patrick & Ruth mentioned YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were everywhere as were
WOOD DUCKS. CINNAMON TEAL were also fairly common. We dipped on the
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, but we sure looked hard at the areas where they were seen. We got
good looks at an adult BALD EAGLE carrying a fish back to the nest, and a
COOPER'S HAWK soaring over the trail on the Nisqually River side.

A SORA was seen out along the trail to McAllister Creek and another was
heard near the start of the boardwalk to the twin barns. We had 2 flybys of
AMERICAN BITTERN out toward McAllister Creek and had a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at a
nest hole near the hummingbird sign on the Nisqually River side.

All told we had 65 species for the day with ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, AMERICAN
PIPIT, and PURPLE MARTIN being new for the year. Total for the year is now
102 species.

At the visitor center after the walk we had a little drama as a COMMON
GARTERSNAKE was in the rushes attacking a MARSH WREN'S nest. Needless to say the
marsh wren was hitting the snake in the back and head with its bill and flying
around. The snake disappeared down into the rushes and the marsh wren flew
out the other side. I think the snake won this one.

Mammals seen included EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, COTTONTAIL RABBIT, MUSKRAT, and
HARBOR SEAL.

Still looking for some more spring migrants. Here's hopping here are here
soon.

Until next week...

Phil Kelley
Lacey, WA
360-459-1499
scrubjay323 at aol.com

"We were few and they were many. Now we are many and they are few."
Confucius