Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 10/25/07
Date: Oct 25 17:56:58 2007
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Today 13 of us enjoyed a very productive walk at Nisqually under clear skies
in cool, windless conditions. And the birds cooperated throughout the
morning.

The day started out on a high note. As I arrived at the parking lot at 8:00
AM, Dennis, Dave, and Ron were scopeing a few CACKLING GEESE in the field
across from the parking lot...about 2500 of them. In their midst were 2 SNOW
GEESE. They also saw an OSPREY fly over the field before I arrived. There
was a PEREGRINE FALCON in the doug fir behind the visitor center. Later we saw
the falcon enjoying breakfast.

Later out near McAllister Creek we saw 2 NORTHERN SHRIKE, an adult and a
juvenile. In McAllister Creek were 5 RIVER OTTERS working their way up river in
a line, fishing as they went. An adult BALD EAGLE was sitting in the nest
tree and a MERLIN flew across the trail. We also saw several AMERICAN PIPITS
on the mud flats just before we got to McAllister Creek.

At the picnic area near the twin barns we saw a mixed flock of songbirds
that included RUBY CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, BROWN CREEPERS,
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, BEWECK'S WREN, WINTER WREN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and
DOWNEY WOODPECKERS. Things really got quiet for a while when a SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK flew through the area.

NORTHERN HARRIERS were quite common and we saw several RED-TAILED HAWKS,
including an all dark morph that was out near the ring dike. There was an
AMERICAN KESTRAL viewed from the twin barns observation platform and a juvenile
BALD EAGLE soaring overhead. There were a couple of RAVEN flying between the
twin barns and the visitor center.

Waterfowl are coming back in good numbers and the water levels on the refuge
continue to rise. Nothing unusual today but good numbers.

All told we saw 57 species with the AMERICAN PIPITS and COMMON RAVEN being
new for the year. The only mammals we saw were the 5 RIVER OTTERS, but they
were great.

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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