Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 4/20/06
Date: Apr 21 07:13:08 2006
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweet,

Yesterday nine of us walked Nisqually on a very pleasant day. Not quite
shirt sleeve weather, but pretty close.

Highlights included a MERLIN flyby, a SORA, 7 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
and an EURASIAN WIGEON.

We started off with a SORA in the marsh behind the visitor center and had
the MERLIN flyby down the road between the riparian area across from the visitor
center. No wonder it was quiet back there! The 7 GREATER WHITRE-FRONTED
GEESE were in a fairly large flock of CACKLING GEESE in the field between the
trail to McAllister Creek and the twin barns. The EURASIAN WIGEON was out on
McAllister Creek where you start the outer dike trail.

Spring is finally here as evidenced by the many COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, MARSH
WREN, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS that were singing. They were just about
everywhere. Swallows were common also, and CLIFF SWALLOWS are starting to build
nests on the twin barns.

The only warblers we saw besides the yellowthroats were YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, which were fairly common. Still looking for the rest of our warbler
friends. The adult GREAT HORNED OWL and owlet were visible in the wood inside the
boardwalk near where the trail from the twin barns meets the Nisqually River
trail.

All told we saw 52 species for the day. Not bad for what I thought was a
slow day. New for the year were GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, HAIRY WOODPECKER,
SORA, and STELLER'S JAY. This brings us to 97 species for the year.

Mammals seen included COTTON-TAILED RABBIT, BLACK-TAILED DEER, EASTERN GRAY
SQUIRREL, and CHIPMONK on the viewing platform at the visitor center.

Evidence that spring has finally arrived was several RED-EARED SLIDERS
sunning themselves on logs in ponds at several locations. We also had a GARTER
SNAKE on the sidewalk near the start of the boardwalk on the Nisqually side as
we finished the loop.

Until next week....

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