Tweets,

Today seven of us enjoyed a productive walk around the outer dike trail at
Nisqually under cloudy skies and cool conditions.

It was obvious that fall is here...at least as far as the birds were
concerned. We saw several species of shorebirds and gathering flocks of blackbirds
prepping for migration.

Highlights included LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS on the mud flats, both
GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS in similar habitat and a couple of sightings of
pairs of WILSON'S SNIPE. We also had a couple of sightings of PIED-BILLED GREBE
with young.
Probably the main highlight was a VIRGINIA RAIL and 5 young, charcoal
briquettes with legs, out toward the sound off the McAllister Creek trail.

There were lots of young birds being fed and lots of movement among the
shorebirds. No standing still for these guys! Swallows were abundant with lots
of young birds begging for food. We saw a male PURPLE MARTIN over the marsh
near Luhr Beach, but missed ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.

All told we had 46 species for the day with LESSER YELLOWLEGS being new for
the year.

Mammals were out and about in numbers with EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, COTTONTAIL
RABBIT, and MUSKRAT seen on multiple occasions. We also saw a MINK, a couple
of RIVER OTTER, and a RACCOON, but the mammal highlight was a juvenile
COYOTE feeding along the trail on the Nisqually River side out past the woodland
trail almost to the sound.

All in all, quite a day.

Until next week when we do the short walk.....

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