HelloTweeters,
Today I Decided to bird Kennedy Creek in Mason County.But since the high
tide was not to late afternoon,I birdied 2 hours at Nisqually behind the
visiting Center to the Barn.The songbirds where quite cooperate that I think
some of this birds start moving south and gather up.there where 4
Orange -crowned Warblers, Myrtle Warbler 7, (close to the barn)Yellow
Warbler where every where 10.Common Yellowthroad 5,Spotted Towhee 2,Song
Sparrows 5,Oregon Juncos 10,Thrush Species 2,Willow Flycatcher
4,Olive -sided Flycatcher 2,
Part of the REFUGE is closed now,but there is plenty space yet to bird.
I got to Kennedy Creek at 12.30 PM the water was only in the canals with few
Least Sandpipers picking on sandy gravel's.It been almost over 10 years
since I been here,we used to bird this place on a regular time,since it is
only both drives 90 miles from Tacoma.I had my first Bar-tailed Godwit on
Kennedy Creek,Willets Golden Plovers Franklin Gull and Black Turnstone.The
high tide was listed at 5.29 PM feet at 10.8.On this spot you never get any
shorebird on a real high tide,so I waited to about 1.30 when a small Falcon
flew over the area,it was a young Merlin who went straight over to the other
side of the wetlands disappearing.As I waited I was feeding on the ripe
Blackberries when I spotted 6 Black-headed Grosbeaks
on the other side of the freeway which is highway 101 going to Shelton this
birds was circling around and than coming closer to the Creek Estuary flying
down and drinking water from the Creek.By now Shorebirds start flying in
from the left,start feeding in the Estuary what there been doing for years
and years in the past.
Here are some Highlights of this area
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 2, BAIRDS SANDPIPER I, BLACK-BELIED PLOVER 5,SPOTTED
SANDPIPERS 2, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 2, COMMON SNIPES 3 (FLYING), Western
Sandpipers (manly all Juveniles) 850 birds, LEAST SANDPIPERS 450
BIRDS,Common Terns 45, LOT'S of GULLS Mew Gulls,Ring -billed
Gulls,Glaucous -winged Gulls.
This place will be good again in the near future but watching the tide is a
must.It was over by 3.30 PM

It was a good day,with little driving,with lot's of birds to watch.

Cheers Ruth Sullivan