Tweets,

Today marked the 4th anniversary of my first weekly walk at Nisqually...and
the weather and birds cooperated in the celebration. There were 15 of us on
a very pleasant day with no wind and high overcast with some sun.

Highlights included our first BUFFLEHEAD of the season, a flock of 13
TUNDRA SWANS flying down the Nisqually River and a couple of AMERICAN BITTERN
sightings.

The day got off to a great start when a BITTERN flew across the parking lot
as I was getting out of my truck. It landed in the marsh behind the visitor
center but was not seen again. There was a PEREGRINE FALCON in the fir tree
behind the visitor center and a couple of SNOW GEESE in a large flock of
CACKLING GEESE kicked up by an immature BALD EAGLE flying across the field from
McAllister Creek. The eagle displaced the falcon until it was chased off by 2
adult BALD EAGLES.

On the way out to McAllister Creek we found the BARN OWL in the thicket on
the right just past the service road and had another AMERICAN BITTERN fly
overhead. Closer to McAllister Creek we found an immature NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Off the twin barns viewing platform we watched a pale RED-TAILED HAWK
sitting a tree out toward the sound. We also got another look at the SNOW GEESE.
There were lots of water and waterfowl around, but nothing really exciting.
On the way out to the ring dike we had the TUNDRA SWANS fly over heading
toward the sound. They circled but flew away toward the sound. At the ring dike
we had a brief glimpse of a GREEN HERON. On the way back to the visitor
center we saw a CALIFORNIA GULL sitting on a stump in the Nisqually River.

All told we saw 51 species for the day with the TUNDRA SWANS and CALIFORNIA
GULL being new for the year. We now have 151 species for the year.

Mammals seen were a RACCOON swimming across the pond at the visitor center,
a BLACK-TAILED DEER in the field near the entrance road, and a MINK out near
the ring dike.

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




************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com