Hello Tweets,

This afternoon between 3pm-6pm the SNOWY EGRET was again present along the west McAllister Creek Trail at the Nisqually NWR,as viewed by us and several other birders with great viewing conditions. We first noted the bird resting on branches of a dead tree that was overhanging a canal at the same location where the bird was observed yesterday. This location is described as approximately 1/4 a mile north of he McAllister Creek Overlook,where you come to the first open area that overlooks a canal and more flooded areas immediately east of the trail. As we continued watching the bird this afternoon the bird the bird began to preen with many loose fluffy feathers flying everywhere! The bird finally flew down from the tree and waded in the canal further away from the trail and seemed far less active than yesterday. The bird acted more lazy during our visit,but later became more active and eventually moved it's way closer to the trail showing off it's body plumes. The bird caught many small fish and on one occasion attempted to try and catch or snap at a cruising darner unsuccessfully(dragonfly)that came too close.

As we continued watching the bird we noticed far fewer shorebirds than yesterday along with a short walk further north to the photo blind boardwalk,despite the incoming tide. Everyday is different for shorebirds,but perhaps the pair of Peregrine Falcons kept many of the birds away or many of them migrated south. A single Solitary Sandpiper was quite active foraging in and around the same location as the Snowy Egret,as was a single SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER towards the end of our visit. A list of a few additional highlights that were encountered while watching the Snowy Egret include the following:

1 Green Heron
1 Osprey
1 Northern Harrier
2 Peregrine Falcons
15 Semipalmated Plovers
13 Greater Yellowlegs
2 Lesser Yellowlegs
3 Solitary Sandpipers(2 birds along the west McAllister Creek Trail and 1 additional bird observed on our way back in a canal of water west of the main parking lot along the McAllister Creek Trail)
2 Spotted Sandpipers
150+ Western Sandpipers
85+ Leas Sandpipers
6 Baird's Sandpipers
3 Short-billed Dowitchers
1 Wilson's Snipe
1 Mourning Dove
1 Pileated Woodpecker(heard calling only along the forested hillside above McAllister Creek)
3 Purple Martins
1 Warbling Vireo
2 Purple Finches


Good birding,

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