Tweeters, Keith Brady and I got out to Nisqually NWR and Luhr Beach
yesterday (4/03) for a bit of early morning birding. We were greeted at
Nisqually
by two swallows sitting on the path out to McAllister Creek. One was a Barn
Swallow and the other seemed to be a BANK SWALLOW. I say "seemed" because
it was slightly irregular with regards to the breast band. There were two
distinct bands coming from the "shoulders" reaching in to the center of the
breast, but they didn't meet. There was a obvious dark vertical band in the
center of the breast leading down to the upper belly, which originally cued
us in to the "Bank Swallow" reference. Various other field marks eliminated
all other swallow species, but I have yet to find any reference of this
plumage on the Net or in reference guides (including Birds of NA).

Other birds seen:
1 A. Bittern
3 Wood Duck pairs
2 B/W Teal pairs (first time I've heard them vocalize, the drake sounds like
a shorebird)
Cinnamon Teal
1 Virginia Rail
2 Sora (seen at first willow clump on right of trail out to McAllister
Creek)
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
3 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Great Horned Owl (adult near this year's nest tree)
Missed the Barn Owl (refuge volunteer mentioned seeing another G/H Owl by
the primitive trail with the remains of a Barn Owl...we were surprised they
have lasted this long with the G/H family so close by)
1 Vaux's Swift
4 Warbling Vireo
1 N. R/W Swallow
O/C Warbler
Yellow Warbler
B/T Gray Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
1 Western Tanager
2 Lincoln's Sparrow
4 G/C Sparrow
1 B/H Grosbeak (my FOS)
2 Bullock's Oriole (my FOS)
Purple Finch

Also stopped at Luhr Beach with a tide about midway. Most exciting find
here was a group of 20 distant WESTERN GREBE (types), not often seen in this
number from Luhr. A sizeable flock of Wigeon out here too. Also:
Bonaparte's Gull, Caspian Tern, Purple Martin, Warbling Vireo, B/T Gray
Warbler, 1 R/N Grebe, 1 R/T Loon.

Finally before my shift at work I took a 5 minute walk through the trails at
St. Martin's Campus near the Lacey Library and heard 2 Hutton's Vireo, 3
Wilson's Warbler, 2 O/C Warbler and 2 B/T Gray Warbler. This has been a
decent place for spring migrants in the past. I heard quite a few Cassin's
Vireos here the other day and also saw some migrant Lincoln's Sparrows and
Pipits as well. There is a pair of R/T Hawks and Common Ravens (presumed;
pair seen chasing R/T Hawks around and returning to original locale) nesting
beyond the open field.

Jason Paulios
Jpaulios at earthlink.net
Olympia, WA