Tweets,

Today seven of us walked Nisqually on a cool overcast day. Water levels are
way down and some of the fields have been mowed so things were pretty quiet.

Highlights of the day were a BLACK-TAILED DEER and 2 fawns standing at the
end of what was once a pond on the trail out to McAllister Creek. As we looked
at them on of our members spotted an AMERICAN BITTERN standing right in
front of them. It proved to be quite a tableau. A SNIPE ran behind the BITTERN,
but didn't stay long.

The other highlight was a mixed flock of birds in the riparian area between
the Nisqually overlook and the ring dike. This flock included both CHICKADEES,
both KINGLETS, YELLOW WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, BEWICK'S WREN,
BROWN CREEPER, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. We saw this flock on the way out
to the ring dike and again on the way back to the visitor center. There were
birds bouncing all over the trees in this area.

We also saw our first number of raptors in a couple of months. We had at
least 3 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 2 female and 1 male, an OSPREY, a SHARP SHINNED HAWK,
a RED-TAILED HAWK, and a juvenile BALD EAGLE. HARRIERS have been scarce in
recent months. I think the mowed fields make it easier for them to hunt.

There were plenty of juvenile COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS
around and the STARLINGS are beginning to flock up. SWALLOW numbers were way
down as were MARSH WRENS. They were there, but mighty quiet!

All told we har 44 species for the day, with nothing new for the year, so we
are still at 129 species for the year.

Mammels seen included the BLACK-TAILED DEER and HARBOR SEAL in the Nisqually
River. There was also a RED-EARED SLIDER in the pond behind the visitor
center. We did see the blue BULL FROG in the pond inside the boardwalk out near
the Twin Barns. And it is a bright blue! The refuge biologist says it is rare
but not unheard of.

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