Subject: [Tweeters] Brown Pelican at Nisqually Reach 9-24-06
Date: Sep 24 21:06:27 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

This afternoon Jim Pruske and my mother and I birded the entire Nisqually NWR with a total of 70 species encountered between 1pm-6:30pm. Birding condition were almost perfect with no wind,clear skies and an incoming tide helped alot too. Our walk along the McAllister Creek Trail produced NO shorebirds in the usual shorebird habitat that was so good earlier in the season. We did however encounter a flock of 15 Long-billed Dowitchers in the large canal associated with the photo blind,as the loosely congregated amongst a small flock of waterfowl. Further along McAllister Creek we encounter good numbers of Ring-billed Gulls with very small number of California and Bonaparte's Gulls,where they all "hawked" for insects above the trail next to McAllister Creek. This spectacle was seen during our entire stay at the refuge and seen from a distance. At times the gulls passed jus feet over our heads catching insects and would move back and forth along the trail. The insects appeared to be very small and in compact groups,so wherever they were the gulls would follow.

Our main highlight during our visit to the Nisqually NWR was an immature BROWN PELICAN observed at a distance at the Nisqually Reach off the Nisqually Delta. The bird would fly up occasionally near the mid span of the Nisqually Reach just east of Luhr Beach then would land and attract a few gulls. It appears to be a usual time for Brown Pelicans to show up in south Puget Sound since we have encountered this species in past years during late September and later. Secondly, a lone calling BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was observed flying along the Nisqually River during our return walk from the Nisqually Delta. The bird flew over the Nisqually Restoration Site in Pierce Co.,then looped back and returned north towards the Nisqually Delta,as it continued to call.

In addition we had a fair amount of passerine movements with rather good numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers encountered in small flocks throughout the entire refuge. Purple Finch numbers were also good,especially with the plentiful supply of Crab Apple trees. Sparrow flocks along the immediate trail were noted in small numbers containing both White and Golden-crowned Sparrows with small numbers of Savannah Sparrows too. Waterfowl flocks were noted in flight over the Nisqually Delta consisting of Northern Pintails,Green-winged Teal and Am.Wigeon and as weeks progress numbers should continue increase. On the refuge itself waterfowl were only present in a few locations,mainly along the inner north dike trail. A list of additional species of note during our visit to the Nisqually NWR included the following:

25 Horned Grebes(Nisqually Reach)
1 BRANDT'S CORMORANT(observed at Nisqually Reach and a somewhat early date for the location)
6 Wood Ducks
10 Surf Scoters(Nisqually Reach)
1 White-winged Scoter(Nisqually Reach)
4 Common Mergansers
4 Northern Harriers
2 Sharp-shinned Hawks
5 Cooper's Hawks
1 Merlin
15 Virginia Rails(heard only at different locations along the outer dike trail from the Nisqually Delta Overlook south)
60 Western Sandpipers(Nisqually Delta)
125+ Least Sandpipers(Nisqually Delta)
350+ Bonaparte's Gulls(most from the Nisqually Reach just south of Anderson Island with smaller numbers at other locations)
3 Mew Gulls
1 WESTERN GULL(Nisqually Delta)
5 Caspian Terns
4 Pigeon Guillemots(Nisqually Reach)
1 Mourning Dove
1 Vaux's Swift
2 Steller's Jays
1 Common Raven
1 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
10 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 VARIED THRUSH
1 Hutton's Vireo
4 Orange-crowned Warblers
115+ Yellow-rumped Warblers
7 Common Yellowthroats
4 Western Tanagers
8 Spotted Towhees
1 "Sooty"Fox Sparrow
15 Lincoln's Sparrows
3 "Oregon"Juncos
45+ Purple Finches


In addition to birds we encountered a few other animals including a very nice insect,a single PRAYING MANTIS noted in the large grassy field just west of the main parking lot. This specimen represented our 3rd personal record of the species in Washington. Additional animals at the Nisqually NWR included the following:

1 Painted Turtle
1 Red-legged Frog
1 Western Swallowtail(butterfly)



Good birding,

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