Tweets,

Today nine of us enjoyed a great day at Nisqually. We started out a bit
after 8:30 as we waited for anyone stuck in northbound traffic on I-5. Some of
out Olympia folks never got to the refuge and I had to rely on back roads to get
around the traffic caused by an accident on the I-5 bridge over the
Nisqually River.

We started out in cool, sunny conditions and it warmed up nicely by the time
we finished at 1:15 PM. Highlights included our first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the
season, not 1 but 2 MERLIN, and 5 AMERICAN BITTERN. Wow, what a day.

We started with a PEREGRINE FALCON in the large doug fir behind the visitor
center. From there we headed out to McAllister Creek and on the way got good
looks at the NORTHERN SHRIKE. It was off on the right just past the ponds.
Farther out we saw a MERLIN sitting in a small tree on our left. As we
returned toward the visitor center we saw the MERLIN fly across the trail and land
on the sound side of the trail, we thought. After looking at that bird a bit I
looked at the original spot and there was a MERLIN in that tree also.
Surprise! We've got 2 MERLIN.

The BITTERN were seen as follows: one off the start of the boardwalk to the
twin barns, two flushed as we got to the freshwater wetlands overlook closer
to the twin barns, one at the ring dike, and one in the slough behind the
Nisqually overlook.

There were also plenty of sparrows and kinglets around. Some water has been
pumped into the refuge so some ducks are starting to show up. Rain would
really help.

All told we had 45 species for the day with nothing new for the year.

We also saw a couple of HARBOR SEAL at the Nisqually overlook and a
RED-EARED SLIDER in the pond behind the visitor center.

Remember, the outer dike trail Saturday during waterfowl hunting season
until the end of January except for a couple of days next week.

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