Tweets,

Today 19 of us enjoyed a great walk at Nisqually today. We walked the outer
dike for perhaps the last time. The weather was good and the birds
cooperated.

Highlights included a RED-THROATED LOON, BLACK BRANT, an AMERICAN KESTRAL,
and many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

We started out with the usual waterfowl suspects on the ponds on the way out
to McAllister Creek, including our first WOOD DUCKS of the year. Out at
McAllister Creek we saw COMMON MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE, and COMMON GOLDENEYE.
We also had the AMERICAN KESTRAL at that location.

The RED-THROATED LOON and the BLACK BRANT were out on the flats as were SURF
SCOTER and COMMON LOON. There were lots of GADWALL on the salt water too.
There was a PEREGRINE FALCON sitting on a log eyeing a flock of 500 or so
DUNLIN that were hanging out with some rafted up HARBOR SEALS. There was
another PEREGRINE roosting in a large tree next to the service road out by the
flats.

Up to this point it was pretty quiet with passerines but that changed when
we started up the Nisqually River. Here is where we ran into several flocks
of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, out first of the year. We also saw scads of ROBINS
as well, so I guess early migration has started.

There was a GREAT-HORNED OWL sitting in the nest tree where the boardwalk
from the twin barns joins the Nisqually River trail.

All told we saw 62 species for the day with RED-THROATED LOON, WOOD DUCK,
AMERICAN KESTRAL, BUSHTIT, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER being new for the year.
We now have 87 species for the year.

Mammals seen were HARBOR SEALS and a MINK.

Until next week....

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

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