Tweets,

Yesterday 3 of us didn't let the threat of high winds and rain deter us from
walking Nisqually and we were rewarded with a pretty pleasant morning. We
had a little rain early and the winds hit about 11:30 as we were coming back
from the ring dike, but all in all it was a good day.

The highlight of the day was a SWAMP SPARROW about 3/4 of the way out to
McAllister Creek. It popped out of the reeds and posed on a small bush long
enough to get good scope views before it took off into the brush again. The
GREAT EGRET is still hanging around and we saw it fly up McAllister Creek toward
the freeway.

The day started at the visitor center where we saw AMERICAN BITTERN, SORA,
BELTED KINGFISHER, and PIED-BILLED GREBE. As a last look before we left for the
day we spotted a PEREGRINE FALCON from the same spot.

Raptors were everywhere. Mostly NORTHERN HARRIERS, but we did see a couple
of RED-TAILED HAWKS and 2 adult BALD EAGLES flying toward the nest tree area
along McAllister Creek. Besides the PEREGRINE we saw a male AMERICAN KESTRAL
perched in the top of the big maple near the freshwater overlook along the
boardwalk and had a SHARPSHINNED HAWK soaring near the ring dike.

The number and diversity of ducks continue to grow as more of the areas
flood and more ducks arrive. MALLARDS and PINTAILS make up the majority of the
numbers with WIGEON next. There are a lot of CACKLING GEESE on the refuge
right now.

Two other highlights we saw were 8 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS in the pond just
across from the parking lot and a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER in a mixed flock
in the riparian area between the ring dike and the Nisqually River overlook.

For the day we had 43 species with the SWAMP SPARROW being new for the year.
The only mammals seen were a couple of HARBOR SEALS in the Nisqually River.

Remember, the outer dike closes tomorrow until the end of January.

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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