Tweets,

Today 10 of us walked Nisqually in cool, cloudy conditions. If fact it was
cold and breezy when we started at 7:30 AM. It did warm up and the breeze
died down later in the morning.

The highlight of the day occurred just after 7:15 AM when a BEAVER swam out
into the pond behind the visitor center and stayed in view for several
minutes. It tail-slapped a couple of times but never really panicked and fled. It
finally swam off at a leisurely pace and disappeared into the reeds.

Other highlights included several (many?) CINNAMON TEAL, 3 EURASIAN WIGEON,
and some TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS. The CINNAMON TEAL were on just about any pond
or wetland on the refuge. The EURASIAN WIGEON were on the pond behind the
twin barns, and the TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS were near the visitor center and out
behind the ring dike.

We also saw five swallow species for the first time this year and had both
VIRGINIA RAIL and SORA calling out near the ring dike. I also saw the first
COWBIRD of the year near the Nisqually Overlook.

This is the first time since February 21st that we did not see the GREAT
HORNED OWLS inside the boardwalk. The last report I have is the were last seen
Sunday.

All told we saw 55 species with BARN SWALLOW, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW,
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, and COWBIRD being new for the year.

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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