Tweets,

Today was the first weekly walk at Nisqually that was on Wednesday and 9 of
us enjoyed the full loop in brilliant sunshine. It started out cool but soon
warmed up. While we didn't think we saw too many birds we wound up with 61
species.

Highlights included 3 juvenile GREAT HORNED OWLS, 12 or so BALD EAGLES,
several HORNED GREBES, our first of the year COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and our first
of the year SAVANAH SPARROWS. We also saw 4 EURASIAN WIGEON inside the dike
out near the burned out tower. Dave Richardson saw 3 more behind the twin
barns! We also saw a NORTHERN SHRIKE out near McAllister Creek.

I was surprised at the number of waterfowl still on the refuge and the
diversity in species. PINTAIL and WIGEON were the most common, but we saw all
three MERGANSERS, GADWALL. WOOD DUCKS. MALLARDS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and
SHOVELERS.

There were several HORNED GREBES and a COMMON LOON out near the end of
McAllister Creek as well as both GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

Out on the flats we saw about a dozen BALD EAGLES, both adult and juvenile.
There was also an adult sitting on the nest across McAllister Creek. Not to
far away was a pair of STELLER'S JAYS.

It was great to see our first COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and the SAVANAH SPARROW
but the rest of the spring arrivals haven's shown up yet.

New for the year were the STELLER'S JAYS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, COMMON
YELLOETHROAT, and SAVANAH SPARROW, giving us 90 species for the year.

Mammals seen included HARBOR SEAL, CALIFORNIA SEA LION, and EASTERN GRAY
SQUIRREL.

Next week we will walk the interior of the refuge but we will move the start
time up to 7:30 AM. This is by request of some of the group who apparently
have a life outside Nisqually, ;-}

Until then.....

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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