Tweets,

Seven of us enjoyed a nice day at Nisqually yesterday. The weather was
relatively warm under partly cloudy skies and the birds cooperated.

Highlights included an AMERICAN BITTERN flyby on the trail out to McAllister
Creek and a GREAT HORNED OWL with young inside the boardwalk between the
Twin Barns and the Nisqually River trail.

We also saw a couple of pairs of BROWN CREEPER building nests under upturned
bark, a BUSHTIT nest, and several RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS.

Spring is here as many birds are now paired off and nesting activity in
ongoing. There is a CANADA GOOSE sitting on eggs on the pond behind the visitor
center, best seen from the boardwalk heading out to the Twin Barns, and another
CANADA GOOSE apparently nesting in a large snag on the left near the same
location.

Except for BALD EAGLES, raptor numbers were way down with few sightings of
RED-TAILED HAWKS and one NORTHERN HARRIER. I guess they have other things on
their minds besides hunting.

We did see our first GOLDFINCH of the year in the riparian area near the
Twin Barns and there were YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS everywhere. We also saw a
couple of pairs of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS chasing each other around in the wooded
areas along the Nisqually River, one pair to the right of the overlook there.

Waterfowl numbers were pretty good. We had most of the usual suspects and
had all three MERGANSERS during the day. We missed EURASIAN WIGEON, but did have
WOOD DUCKS. No CINNAMON or BLUE-WINGED TEAL yet, although a CINNAMON TEAL
was reported last weekend.

All told we had 55 species for the day, with GOLDFINCH and MOURNING DOVE
being new for the year. Total for the year is 88 species.

Pretty slow day for mammals with only a MUSKRAT, seen from the visitor
center viewing platform, and the OPOSSUM at the end of the Ring Dike.

Some of the folks headed out toward the sound and saw another GREAT HORNED
OWL, but I'll let them fill you in on the details.

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