Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 1/5/2006
Date: Jan 5 16:31:51 2006
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Today 10 of us started walking Nisqually at 8:30 in steady rain. By the time
we finished at 12:30 there were 2 of us left. Pretty miserable conditions
most of the day. At least it was warm and not much wind.

Most of the passerines were smarter than we were and stayed hunkered down.
Highlights included a juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE on the trail to McAllister Creek
(McAllister Lake today) and a distant view of a SNOWY OWL. The snowy was in
the fir tree out near the observation platform near the sound. We (2 of us)
got good scope views from the ring dike area. We also had an AMERICAN BITTERN
on the way to McAllister Creek and a GREEN HERON in the slough between the
boardwalk to the twin barns and the Nisqually overlook. That bird has been in
the area for a couple of weeks now.

There were 12 SNOW GEESE not far from the parking lot and we found an
EURASIAN WIGEON behind the twin barns. There was a male AMERICAN KESTRAL along the
trail to McAllister Creek, and RED-TAILS, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and BALD EAGLES
were fairly common. We had a COOPER'S HAWK near there Nisqually River
overlook.

We had a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKER in the woods near the boardwalk where
it joins the Nisqually River trail and also saw DOWNEY WOODPECKER and NORTHERN
FLICKERS.

All told we saw 43 mostly wet species.

Mammals were almost as common as the birds as we saw 3 BLACK-TAILED DEER, a
COYOTE, a MUSKRAT, and a MINK. There was a CALIFORNIA SEA LION and several
HARBOR SEALS up the Nisqually River. And last but not least several EASTERN GRAY
SQUIRRELS were out and about.

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