Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 12/30/09
Date: Dec 30 21:30:53 2009
From: scrubjay323 at aol.com - scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Today 19 of us walked Nisqually under cloudy skies with just enough wind to
cut right through us. I'm still trying to get warm! Even the birds
weren't active early on.

Highlights included BALD EAGLES, lots of BALD EAGLES. They were
everywhere! At one time we had 5 of them diving on a lone duck that somehow managed
to survive! I think we had 14 in view at one time. There were a few
NORTHERN HARRIERS about but most of the RED-TAILED HAWKS were perched. Waiting
for it to warm up I guess.

We also watched a PEREGRINE FALCON stretch its wings..and return empty
taloned. There was an AMERICAN KESTRAL out behind the twin barns. In fact,
he landed on the barns at one time. And we found the adult NORTHERN SHRIKE
just outside the new dike at the curve toward the gate.

We did have thousands of CACKLING GEESE with some CANADA GEESE mixed in.
There was a GREATER-WHITE FRONTED GOOSE in with a flock of CACKLERS near the
access road. WE dipped on the BRANT that had been seen near the twin
barns lately, partly because a couple of EAGLES put that flock up before we
could scope them out.

We had an AMERICAN BITTERN next to the boardwalk on the way out to the twin
barns and saw a couple of GREAT BLUE HERONS. Sparrow numbers were way
down but we got great looks at a BROWN CREEPER that gleaned from below us to
eye level along the boardwalk on the Nisqually River side. We also had
KINGLETS and a DOWNEY WOODPECKER in the same area.

All told we had 40 species for the day. We had nothing new for the year
leaving us with a total of 146 species for the year.

Mammals seen were EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, COLUMBIAN BLACK-TAILED DEER,
HARBOR SEAL, and CALIFORNIA SEA LION.

Until next year....Happy New Year to all!!

Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at aol.com
Lacey, WA
360-459-1499