Tweets,

Today 9 of us endured a walk at Nisqually NWR under cool, damp, windy
conditions...and then it started to rain about 10:30 and continued for the rest of
the walk.

Highlights included our first CINNAMON TEAL of the year, 2 AMERICAN BITTERN
sightings and great looks at GREAT HORNED OWLS with young.

Today proved the early bird catches the worm, or at least sees good birds.
Just before I arrived at the visitor center folks saw both a VIRGINIA RAIL and
an AMERICAN BITTERN. Both up close and personal before they flew away from
the viewing platform. We later had a BITTERN fly across the trail to
McAllister Creek ahead of us.

We saw our first CINNAMON TEAL in the pond on the left as we walked out
toward McAllister Creek, and had the first BARN SWALLOW of the year out near
McAllister Creek.
We saw a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in among some CACKLING GEESE out beyond
the twin barns and had a pretty good selection of waterfowl, although not a
lot of any species.

We spotted an adult GREAT HORNED OWL in the trees near the nest tree between
the twin barns and the Nisqually side. Then we spotted a juvenile about 10
feet above the adult on another branch. When we returned from the ring dike
the juvenile was right next to the adult trying to keep warm in the rain. We
then spotted a second adult in another tree behind the adult and young.

Passerines were scarce today...too cold and wet, I guess. We saw both
CHICKADEES, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a couple of COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, and that
was about it.

We looked for the barn owl in last year's nest hole and found a RACOON in
the nest hole. Couldn't tell if he was dining on eggs, owlets, or what he was
doing. Not what we expected and not a good sign for the barn owls.

All told we had 45 species for the day with CINNAMON TEAL and BARN SWALLOW
being new for the year.

The only other mammal we saw was a RIVER OTTER in the Nisqually River seen
down stream from the Nisqually River Overlook.

Hopefully next week will be drier and warmer and more birds will be present.
Until then.....

Phil Kelley
Lacey, WA
scrubjay323 at aol.com
360-459-1499

" We were few and they were many. Now we are many and they are few"
Confucius