Tweeters,

Although we started out birding in a driving rain, the weather, though
blustery at times, came through fine for six of us on a Seattle Audubon trip
to a soggy Nisqually refuge on Saturday. The rain didn't hurt too much,
especially since we carded 24 of a final total 39 species (61%!) within 100
yards of the parking lot beside the trail to McAllister Creek. Included
among these birds were about a dozen LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS feeding to the
left of the trail, and one PECTORAL SANDPIPER in bright plumage--this latter
shorebird was a complete surprise. To the right of the trail, the extensive
mud-pond yielded a coursing flock of about 120 DUNLIN and one lone
SANDERLING, which ensconced itself next to a Dunlin that had broken from the
main flock. Further down the trail we located two AMERICAN COOT, as well as
a PIED-BILLED GREBE on McAllister Creek.



Other notable sightings for us included very good views of two different
PEREGRINE FALCONS (imm. and adult) and NORTHERN SHRIKE, as well as a
HUTTON'S VIREO and WINTER WREN. About a half-dozen Red-tailed Hawks and
about the same number of Northern Harriers were hunting the drier areas. A
male and female (by size) Bald Eagle interacted extensively for a brief
time, and raised havoc with the ducks near the barns, which all took flight
for a couple of minutes before settling back down.



Very large flocks of ducks included Mallard, Northern Pintail, American
Wigeon, with a sprinkling of Northern Shovelers and Green-winged Teal.
Cackling geese seemingly outnumbered Canada geese by about 250:1.



Here's the complete list:



Cackling Goose

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

American Coot

Sanderling

Pectoral Sandpiper

Dunlin

Long-billed Dowitcher

Ring-billed Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rock Pigeon (I)

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Northern Shrike

Hutton's Vireo

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Winter Wren

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

European Starling (I)

Cedar Waxwing

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at q.com