Tweets,

Today 8 of us enjoyed a glorious walk at Nisqually under clear, sunny skies
and warming temperatures. The conditions were great and the birds were
pretty cooperative.

Highlights included an OSPREY, a MOURNING DOVE, and a STELLER'S JAY.

The OSPREY was seen flying down the Nisqually River. The Chinook salmon run
is in full swing and I guess the OSPREY was looking for lunch.

The MOURNING DOVE was perched in a tree near the McAllister Creek overlook
and all puffed up in the cool of the morning. Good thing it was there because
the shorebirds sure weren't. The only shorebirds we saw were GREATER and
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, and a single SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER on the mud
flats at McAllister Creek. We were told by a photographer that there were scads
of shorebirds at 6:30 AM when he was there. Guess a predator sent them
packing. Quite a disappointment after last week.

The STELLER'S JAY was in the riparian area between the Nisqually overlook
and the ring dike. We also had both CHICKADEES , BUSHTIT, and a WARBLING VIREO
in the same area.

Swallow numbers were way down with BARN, CLIFF, and VIOLET-GREEN the most
numerous. We also saw TREE SWALLOWS and a BANK SWALLOW, not seen by all.

We had a PILIATED WOODPECKER show it self along the trail back from the ring
dike and many WILLOW FLYCATCHERS and WESTERN WOOD PEEWEES throughout the
refuge.

All told we saw 51 species with nothing new for the year. Mammals seen
included EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, HARBOR SEAL, and COLUMBIAN BLACK-TAILED DEER.

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



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