Tweets,

Dawn Bailey & I walked Nisqually this morning on a very pleasant day.
Temperatures were in the 50s and the rain held off most of the morning.

The day started with our usual welcoming committee of three GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE just across the road from the parking lot and continued with 2
BARN SWALLOWS hawking insects over the pond on the right as we headed out
toward McAllister Creek. We had barn swallows in the same area in January last
year. Not sure where they go, but they will disappear when the weather turns
colder next week.

There is water everywhere on the refuge and the ducks were scattered. We saw
the usual cast of characters, but dipped on the EURASIAN WIGEON. We saw many
more GREEN-WINGED TEAL than usual and fewer WIGEON. There were several
COMMON MERGANSERS and COMMON GOLDENEYE just off the Nisqually River overlook.

We had good numbers of raptors with RED-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN HARRIERS,
BALD EAGLES, a PEREGRINE FALCON, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

The immature NORTHERN SHRIKE was on station along the trail to McAllister
Creek and showed up again behind the twin barns. We had great looks at an
AMERICAN BITTERN along the boardwalk out to the twin barns.

We didn't have much luck with sparrows or wrens, but did manage to see a
couple of small flocks of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, both KINGLETS, BROWN CREEPERS,
and DOWNEY WOODPECKER. This warm weather must have the birds confused as
these flocks were much smaller than usual this time of year.

Mammals seen included EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, HARBOR SEAL and CALIFORNIA SEA
LIONS in the Nisqually River. We also saw a GARTER SNAKE in some low branches
near the riparian area overlook trail and a couple of turtles hauled out on a
log in the pond behind the visitor center. Seems a bit early to be sunning
themselves, especially since it was raining at that time!

All told we had 48 species for the day and now have 61 for the year.

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