Hello Tweets,

This afternoon we spent 4 hours birding the entire outer loop trail at the Nisqually between 12pm-4pm. Birding conditions were fair,but we did encounter a fair amount of wind that hampered efforts at times along with having a minus low tide at the Nisqually Delta. We located 74 species,of which several highlights were noted. Our main route consisted of walking the McAllister Creek Trail then north to the Nisqually Delta,then working our way back to the main parking lot. Many areas are inside the trail are still full of water,especially east of the north-south McAllister Creek Trail. A few areas however are ample for shorebirds,including the more shallow areas immediately west of the main parking lot and north to the Twin Barns and just a few areas from the northwest corner of the refuge east to the central service road.

Among our best highlights we begin with a pair of returning BLUE-WINGED TEAL observed with a pair of Cinnamon Teal along the inside wetland areas along the outer dike trail just west of the central service road. It was welcome sight to see the Blue-winged Teal and a species we anticipated seeing during our visit somewhere on the refuge. In addition very good numbers of Cinnamon Teal were encountered during our visit from many wetland areas. Our final tally of Cinnamon Teal came to 44 birds and most were in pairs. Other waterfowl species of note from inside the main dike included small numbers of Gadwall, Am.Wigeon, 33 Northern Pintail and Green-winged Teal. Larger numbers of waterfowl were scoped from the Nisqually Delta,but due to the distance many species were not positively identified.

Shorebird numbers were low,although due to the high water levels at most locations we were happy with what shorebird species we located. Our main shorebird highlights consisted of a SOLITARY SANDPIPER and 3 Least Sandpipers in the wetland area near the end of the east-west McAllister Creek Trail. Additional small numbers of Least Sandpiper were noted at a few other locations along the McAllister Creek Trail as we worked our way to the Nisqually Delta. 2 Lesser Yellowlegs and a Long-billed Dowitcher were observed along the McAllister Creek Trail south of the Nisqually Delta. We also located only 4 Greater Yellowlegs from various locations along the McAllister Creek Trail.

As we walked north along the McAllister Creek Trail towards the Nisqually Delta we located our only flycatcher species of the day beginning with a WESTERN WOOD PEWEE followed by an active OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Our only other passerine notables included a NASHVILLE WARBLER observed in a mixed flock of Orange-crowned Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers in the grove of Big Leaf Maple trees immediately south of the Twin Barns. Our only Warbling Vireo of the day was noted at this location too.

A list of other noteworthy species encountered at the Nisqually NWR included the following:


4 Horned Grebes(Nisqually Delta)
1 Brandt's Cormorant(Nisqually Reach)
9 Wood Ducks
5 Ring-necked Ducks
45+ Surf Scoters and 8 White-winged Scoters at the Nisqually Reach
1 Common Goldeneye(Nisqually River)
8 Hooded Mergansers(including 1 female with 12 young along the McAllister Creek Trail)
2 Red-breasted Mergansers(Nisqually Reach)
3 RUDDY DUCKS(2 displaying males and 1 female observed in the freshwater wetland area at the northwest corner of the refuge) A rather unusual species for the Nisqually NWR anytime of year!
4 Turkey Vultures
1 Northern Harrier
several calling Virginia Rail and Sora from various locations along the McAllister Creek Trail
45+ Caspian Terns(Nisqually Delta)
2 Pigeon Guillemots(Nisqually Reach)
large numbers of Vaux's Swifts flying overhead along the entire portion of the McAllister Creek Trail east to the Nisqually River
1 Red-breasted Sapsucker
7 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
4 Western Tanagers
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
28 Golden-crowned Sparrows
4 Purple Finches


Good birding,

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