Hello Tweets,

This afternoon we birded the Nisqually NWR from 3pm-6:30pm with a walk made along the McAllister Creek trail followed by checking along the woodland area along the Nisqually River trail for passerines. Overall birding was fairly slow including much,much lower numbers of shorebirds compared to our last visit along the McAllister Creek trail. Perhaps a predator such as a Merlin or Peregrine Falcon had flushed the shorebirds before we arrived or maybe a new movement of shorebirds needs to come in. Anyhow, we checked all the available muddy areas that extend north to the photo blind,but there was definitely a lack of shorebirds even with the presence of high tide. Our main highlight of the afternoon was a cooperative GREAT EGRET photographed along the McAllister Creek trail immediately south of the photo blind,which was very active feeding by itself. This bird was reported by observers earlier in the day,so perhaps it may continue during upcoming days if the feeding is good.

Shorebird highlights included 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS that intermingled amongst 2 separate small flocks of Western and Least Sandpipers. Additionally, 5 Greater Yellowlegs and 14 Lesser Yellowlegs were tallied followed by 3 Short-billed Dowitchers and 2 juvenile Spotted Sandpipers. A single SOLITARY SANDPIPER was observed along a canal along the east-west McAllister trail immediately west of the parking area.

A single BANK SWALLOW was noted by itself flying south along the McAllister Creek trail,but overall swallow numbers were very low and represented mainly by Barn Swallows. A single Tree Swallow was the only other swallow observed.

Passerine movements along the Nisqually River trail were light with a good representation of several species including a single MacGillivray's Warbler, 2 Western Wood Pewees, and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher.

Other key highlights of the afternoon included the following:

2 Green Herons
17 Green-winged Teal
1 Cinnamon Teal
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Osprey
3 Northern Harriers
1 Cooper's Hawk
2 Mourning Doves
3 Vaux's Swifts
1 Red-breasted Sapsuckers
1 Hairy Woodpecker
2 Pileated Woodpeckers
7 Willow Flycatchers
4 Common Ravens
5 Chestnut-backed Chickadees
4 Brown Creepers
1 Swainson's Thrush
1 Hutton's Vireo
4 Warbling Vireos
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
4 Yellow Warblers
1 Black-throated Gray Warbler
3 Wilson's Warblers


Good birding,

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