It was a beautiful day today and I finally got to Nisqually NWR about 4:15 this afternoon. I spent 2 hours walking halfway out to McAllister Creek and back and doing the boardwalk. I was pleasantly surprised to find very few people at the refuge despite the great sunshine and light breeze. The song sparrows and marsh wrens were serenading for all they were worth. It was wonderfully relaxing. What surprised me most today was the total lack of flycatchers and almost total lack of warblers.

The highlight of the day was at the end when I went to the Visitor's Center seeking a previously seen American bittern. I dipped on the bittern, but saw a female Bullock's oriole flying around the trees on the other side of the water. This came after finding 2 Swainson's thrushes on the Nisqually River side between the Riparian Trail cut-off and the intersection with the Twin Barns Trail.

Birds seen today in no particular order are:

cinnamon teal (pair)
blue-winged teal (pair)
savannah sparrow
mallard
song sparrow
marsh wrens
starlings (way too many!!!)
Bullock's oriole (female)
red-winged blackbird
red-breasted merganser (female)
Swainson's thrush
common yellowthroat (heard 2)
woodpecker sp (heard one drilling)
Canada geese
barn swallow
American goldfinch
tree swallow
violet-green swallow
American crow

Red-eared slider (sunning)
bullfrog (heard)

an unidentified blue dragonfly (one)

Seen by others:

green heron (probable)
wood duck (female) with young
American bittern

Valerie Elliott
Olympia, WA
VElliott at msn.com