Hello Tweets,

This afternoon we again checked for shorebirds along the west McAllister Creek Trail at the Nisqually NWR between 1pm-6pm. We experience a different variety of shorebirds to and from our hike to the Nisqually Delta with the most shorebirds noted during the incoming tide.Of the 11 species of shorebirds encountered our main highlights were up to 8 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and a single SOLITARY SANDPIPER along the McAllister Creek Trail with very close looks at both species. The Solitary Sandpiper was again present foraging along the edges of the canal next to the trail,while the Baird's Sandpipers were observed further away from the trail in the more extensive drier,muddy areas. We also met an Olympia birder that added Baird's Sandpiper to his life list! The best shorebird viewing continued to be from both benches along the McAllister Creek Trail south of the photo blind boardwalk,which show ample amounts of shoreline still available,as well as extensive muddy areas. Our other highlight during our visit was a family of California Quail observed further north of the boardwalk,as we continued towards the Nisqually Delta. We observed a single male keeping guard along the trail,as the female and 5-6 young foraged downhill from the trail in thicker vegetation.

Our short visit to the extreme northwest corner of the refuge was slow with high tide conditions at the Nisqually Delta. We did notice that many of the "peeps"(primarily Least Sandpipers)observed earlier in the day flying out to this area perhaps to roost until the tide receded. When we arrived back to the shorebird area along he McAllister Creek Trail we immediately noted few shorebirds,although lighting conditions were superb. A list of other notable species encountered during our visit included the following:

4 Pied-billed Grebes
2 Am.Bitterns
1 Green Heron
9 Wood Ducks
7 Cinnamon Teal
4 Hooded Mergansers
200+ Common Mergansers(Nisqually Delta)
1 Turkey Vulture
3 Osprey
2 Northern Harriers
2 Sharp-shinned Hawks
2 Cooper's Hawks
1 Am.Coot
38 Semipalmated Plovers(high count for location)
15 Greater Yellowlegs
7 Lesser Yellowlegs
3 Spotted Sandpipers
450+ Western Sandpipers
200+ Least Sandpipers
2 Short-billed Dowitchers
1 Long-billed Dowitcher
3 Mourning Doves
3 Purple Martins
3 Purple Finches



Good shorebirding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com