Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 12/13/07
Date: Dec 14 21:36:29 2007
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Sorry for the late report but my goof off schedule has been pretty full
lately.

Yesterday six of us walked Nisqually in what started out as fairly decent
weather. Within an hour or so it started to drizzle and gradually developed
into a steady light rain. About 10:30 the wind picked up. With the adverse
weather the bird numbers were down from recent weeks.

Highlights included a couple of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and a hovering AMERICAN
KESTRAL. The ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were out behind the twin barns and out near
the ring dike and the KESTRAL was acting like a hummingbird over the field
between the freeway and the trail out to McAllister Creek.

With all the water on the refuge I expected to see more waterfowl but I
guess they just have more places to sit. We did see a couple hundred AMERICAN
WIGEON but we couldn't find a single EURASIAN WIGEON. Gotta be hiding somewhere
out there.

Nothing special and not great numbers of most species except there were
several HARBOR SEALS and at least one CALIFORNIA SEA LION up near the Nisqually
River overlook. Appears the Chum Salmon run is under way.

All told we saw 39 species for the day with nothing new for the year. The
only mammals seen are those mentioned above.

Until next week when I will be gone and Eric Slagle will lead the walk.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

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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