Tweets,

Yesterday 15 of us walked Nisqually under high overcast in relatively cool
temps. Not what I had expected from the weather, but it was nice.

Highlights were many, starting with a PILIATED WOODPECKER working a snag
behind the visitor center as we gathered at the start of the walk. We later
added FLICKER, DOWNEY WOODPECKER, and RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER to the day's list,
but dipped on the HAIRY WOODPECKER. Darn!!

On the way out to McAllister Creek we heard and finally saw a VIRGINIA RAIL.
There seemed to be multiple rails in that area. By the time we returned to
the visitor center we had three sightings of VIRGINIA RAIL including two
that afforded good views for most of us.

At the pond just short of McAllister Creek we sighted a GREEN HERON in a low
tree and then proceeded to fill our shorebird card. We had LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SDANDPIPER, KILLDEER, and
WILSON'S SNIPE. On McAllister Creek we saw a couple of SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
Later we saw a LESSER YELLOWLEGS associated with 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS on the
mud flat at the Nisqually River overlook.

We also watched an AMERICAN BITTERN fly in and proceed to hunt inside the
boardwalk as we headed out to the twin barns.

Passerine and raptor activity was limited as were the number of waterfowl.
We did 5 CANADA GEESE fly over the refuge, the first we've seen for a while,
and we saw a female CINNAMON TEAL with 3 young as well as many WOOD DUCKS,
mainly young of the year.

All told we saw 47 species with nothing new for the year. The only Mammal
seen was an EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL.

Until next week when we walk the full loop....



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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