Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 5/11/2006
Date: May 12 19:06:06 2006
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Yesterday 11 of us enjoyed a walk at Nisqually NWR from 8:15 AM to 1:15 PM
under varied conditions. It was cool and overcast at the start. We had some
light rain about 10:00 and ended up in filtered sunshine.

Highlights included WESTERN TANAGERS at several locations, WARBLING VIREO,
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, and WILSON'S
WARBLER. All were new for the year except the WESTERN TANAGER.

The walk started out pretty slow with few waterfowl on the little water left
in the pond near the parking lot. Our first good bird was a SORA seen
briefly in the marsh on the way out to McAllister Creek. McAllister Creek was
pretty slow, but we did see our first WESTERN TANAGER just inside the gate there.

We really hit a bonanza when we got back to the start of the boardwalk as
the maples there were alive! Besides the YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, we had YELLOW
WARBLERS. WILSON'S WARBLER, WARBLING VIREO, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and both
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. More what I expected in the
willows closer to the twin barns.

At the Nisqually River overlook we saw a female COMMON MERGANSER with
several young and had the first of several WESTERN TANAGER sightings between there
and the ring dike. We also got great looks at a SWAINSON'S THRUSH that posed
for us in the brambles across the slough.

All in all we saw 44 species for the day with the 5 new species for the year
giving us a total of 112 species for the year.

Mammals seen included a MUSKRAT and EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL.

Until next week...

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