Subject: [Tweeters] Birding at Nisqually NWR; Salmon at Kennedy Creek
Date: Nov 19 19:42:36 2005
From: wheelermombi at comcast.net - wheelermombi at comcast.net


Hi Tweeters,

I birded for a few hours early this afternoon (Sat.) at Nisqually NWR. Several herds of prepubescent, bipedal hominids were about vocalizing in very loud, shrill voices. Despite their enthusiasm, some birds did decide to stay in the refuge. These included:

-3 peregrine falcons, one of which flew up to a tree by the Nisqually River with a dead killdeer in its talons, just as I arrived. It was soon joined by a raven, which stayed a few branches away, but watched the falcon with the patience of a mortician watching a soon-to-be customer. The falcon kept looking over at it and even dropped its prey to the ground once in its agitation.
-1 merlin
-2 bald eagles
-3 red-tailed hawks, one of which was a very dark morph
-several northern harriers
-large numbers of bushtits in several scatterred flocks
-both species of kinglets
-both local species of chickdees
-1 downy woodpecker
-1 northern flicker
-several brown creepers
-1 eared grebe
-1 bittern
plus the usual assortment of coots, ducks and geese for this time of year

Also, the salmon trail at Kennedy Creek is still open to visitors on the weekends. There are large numbers of chum salmon and a few coho salmon spawing. The entrance to the trail is located off of Old Olympic Highway on Hwy 101, just a few miles south of Shelton. We always see 1 or 2 red-breasted sapsuckers along the trail as well.
Happy birding,

Lonnie Somer
Olympia, WA
wheelermombi at comcast.net