Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Egret at Nisqually NWR 8-20-06
Date: Aug 20 20:32:10 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

This evening between 4pm-6:45pm we birded the Nisqually NWR after enjoying a nice day at Bottle Beach and Tokeland. We located a single adult SNOWY EGRET approximately 1/4 mile north of the McAllister Creek Overlook,where the bird foraged cooperatively close to the trail and allowed exceptional views and photographs to be obtained. We watched the bird for almost 2 hours,as it continued "fishing" moving back and forth in somewhat deep water,but occasionally rested then preened. The bird at times danced around looking for fish and in the most shallow water revealed it's muddy yellow feet wit black legs,but most times it held it's feet submerged. We had superb lighting during most of the observations,as other people hiked by us occasionally asking us what the bird was. We somewhat suspect this may be the same Snowy Egret reported exactly a week ago to the date at this same location,as we compared photographs between ours and the photographs Guy McWethy obtained.The question is where was the bird for a week? There is still alot of habitat unseen and inaccessible to the public at the Nisqually NWR so it is very possible it was hiding out in a sheltered area or perhaps in a completely different area away from the refuge. Whatever the case it was exciting to see this great bird,especially since it was so cooperative and quite approachable within about 30 feet away!

We left the bird,as it rested calmly huddled behind some vegetation at the same location,so if the bird is there and visible you will definitely see it! We will check again tomorrow to see if the bird will still be there,as well as look for shorebirds. Away from the Snowy Egret we had very large concentrations of "peeps" that flew in and around the wetland area inside the dike along the McAllister Creek Trail during the incoming tide. Most of the shorebirds were very nervous throughout our visit due to a pair of Peregrine Falcons that flew around the area. A list of shorebird highlights encountered during our visit,as well as other notable species include the following:

5 Am.Bitterns
3 Green Herons
6 Wood Ducks
6 Green-winged Teal
1 Blue-winged Teal
6 Cinnamon Teal
3 Hooded Mergansers
1 Northern Harrier
9 Semipalmated Plovers
13 Greater Yellowlegs
5 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Solitary Sandpiper
1 Spotted Sandpiper
1,200+ Western Sandpipers
350+ Least Sandpipers
6 Baird's Sandpipers
1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER
2 Short-billed Dowitchers
7 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Wilson's Snipe
1 Mourning Dove
1 Western Wood Pewee
1 Yellow Warbler



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwt51 at msn.com