Hello Tweets,

This afternoon/evening we birded along the McAllister Creek Trail at the Nisqually NWR between 3pm-6pm under cloudy skies. Overall the refuge was fairly slow,but as the tide level raised shorebirds began moving inland to the wetlands areas along the west McAllister Creek Trail. We easily viewed the lingering adult SNOWY EGRET observed at the tide gate/culvert half way between the McAllister Creek Overlook and the boardwalk to the photo blind. The bird was first detected perched high atop a bushy tree along the trail,but only visible when we looked back from the north. The bird roosted in this tree for some time,as it preened then finally dropped down to the canal immediately east of the trail to feed. When we walked back the bird foraged rather lazily for quite awhile as it let the fish come to him or her,but became more active as the evening progressed. We were joined by several other enthusiasts,who enjoyed the bird as it cooperatively allowed close views next to the trail. We left the bird at the tide gate,where it remained foraging in deeper water along with a fair amount of "peeps" that gathered nearby.

***A note to those that wish to look for shorebirds,etc. ***A spotting scope is well recommended at the Nisqually NWR whether you walk a short distance or the entire "loop",especially if you wish to look for shorebirds along the McAllister Creek Trail. The shorebirds,especially "peeps" are often quite concealed at times or obscured by debris or vegetation and a spotting scope helps in observing the birds closer and with a more definitive aspect.

On our return walk back from watching the Snowy Egret and shorebirds we observed a single BANK SWALLOW foraging above the open fields with a few Barn Swallows just west of the main parking lot,which was a nice highlight in it's own for the location. This bird represented our 4th personal record for the Nisqually NWR,as well as for Thurston Co.


A list of other notable species encountered during our visit to the Nisqually NWR include the following:

1 Am.Bittern
1 Green Heron
5 Wood Ducks
3 Green-winged Teal
4 Cinnamon Teal
4 Gadwall(2 adults and 2 juvenile birds)
2 Northern Harriers
34 Semipalmated Plovers
25 Greater Yellowlegs
2 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Solitary Sandpiper
1 Spotted Sandpiper
160 Western Sandpipers
125+ Least Sandpipers
3 Baird's Sandpipers
2 Long-billed Dowitchers
2 Wilson's Snipe
1 Pileated Woodpecker
12 Purple Martins



Good birding,

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