Hello Tweets,

Today we led a TAS(Tahoma Audubon Society)field trip to the Nisqually NWR and Luhr Beach in Thurston Co. with a total of 80 species that were observed from both locations. Due to the opening day of hunting the outer dike trail at the Nisqually NWR was closed,as expected but dismal weather conditions during the morning we walked all the areas we could. Also as a result of hunting many of the waterfowl and geese we observed were flying all over the refuge,but also gathered in the newly flooded wetland area along the McAllister Creek trail just west of the main parking lot. The most abundant waterfowl species were Northern Pintail,Mallard,and Am.Wigeon,but at Luhr Beach Am.Wigeon numbers were the most impressive and abundant waterfowl species. We began the day by walking the McAllister Creek trail,then proceeded along the trail just south of the McAllister Creek Overlook. During this time we encountered the wettest conditions,but as we worked our way back to the man parking lot conditions improved considerably. The latter portion of outer visit to the Nisqually NWR was made by walking to the Twin Barns,then north to the Ring Dike Trail"loop" then a return walk back to the main parking lot via the Nisqually River Loop Trail. Although conditions remained quite wet at times there was NO wind,which made the day that much more pleasurable. Our most significant highlights noted at the Nisqually NWR included the following:

2 Am.Bitterns(with both birds observed in flight at close range
including 1 bird along the McAllister Creek trail and the other bird in the wetland area within the Ring Dike Trail)
15 Greater White-fronted Geese
2 Blue-winged Teal(observed in the wetland area bordering the Ring Dike Trail at the exact location where 1 bird was present on the 26th of September with today's sighting being a noteworthy date)
3 Virginia Rails(with 1 bird observed briefly at the wetland area within the Ring Dike Trail and 2 additional birds heard nearby)
1 Greater Yellowlegs(1 single bird observed from the McAllister Creek Overlook)
12 Long-billed Dowitchers(observed in 3 separate flocks from separate locations)
2 Pileated Woodpeckers(2 birds observed along the main trail just south of the Ring Dike Trail)

Other highlights noted from the Nisqually NWR included the following:

600+ Cackling Geese
1 Hooded Merganser
1 Pied-billed Grebe
5 Northern Harriers
1 Peregrine Falcon
18 Wilson's Snipe
2 Mourning Doves
2 Common Ravens
6 Brown Creepers
3 Winter Wrens
30+ Cedar Waxwings
5-6 Savannah Sparrows
2 Lincoln's Sparrows
12+ Purple Finches



Next,between 2pm-3:30pm we birded Luhr Beach where some of our best highlights of the day were encountered and weather conditions improved evenmore with partly sunny skies! With masses of waterfowl spread out in long lines offshore of the Nisqually Delta due to hunters our efforts were attracted to the very limited shoreline where 2 small separate flocks of Dunlin gathered just across from Luhr Beach. Upon closer inspection up to 17 Black-bellied Plovers were tallied. A much closer inspection of this same location a juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was noted in flight,then eventually joined the flock of Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin,as the entire flock seemed very agitated as water levels raised. Eventually the entire flock of shorebirds separated into smaller groups,then scattered with the presence of an adult Peregrine Falcon. The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was extremely bright,but showed well amongst the other shorebirds even at the distance we observed it from the covered wooden dock. We presume this could be the same Sharp-tailed Sandpiper than we noted while conducting a survey on the 13th of October at the nearby Nisqually Restoration Site,but there is no way of telling for sure! Anyhow, we definitely didn't expect to see a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper from Luhr Beach,but perhaps with all the waterfowl hunting the bird felt most comfortable where other shorebirds were.

With very calm conditions we also made a thorough scoping of the Nisqually Reach,which produced a nice assortment of waterbird species. Our most noteworthy additional sightings from Luhr Beach included the following:

2 Gadwall
20 Greater Scaup
8 Lesser Scaup(unusual for location)
55 Surf Scoters
22 White-winged Scoters
4 Bufflehead
4 Ruddy Ducks(our personal firsts for this location)
19 Common Loons
8 Red-necked Grebes
6 Eared Grebes
18 Western Grebes
1 Am.Coot(1 bird way out off the Nisqually Reach swimming in the current lines with other waterfowl and our personal firsts for this location)
6 Western Sandpipers
1 Least Sandpiper
670+ Dunlin
1 Herring Gull
2 Western Gulls
1 Pigeon Guillemot(our only alcid at this location)



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net