Hello Tweeters,

Wow, what a spectacular fall day in Nisqually. Eight of us enjoyed a
terrific walk with temperatures in the 50?s and mostly clear skies.

An active Northern Flicker, red shafted, and a juvenile Cooper?s hawk
greeted many of us in the parking lot. While gathering at the Visitor
Center pond overlook, we had good looks of Mallard and Wood Duck with a
welcoming return of four American Widgeon. Goldfinch and Common
Yellow-throat Warbler made the first of numerous appearances to help us
start our morning. We took some extra time to appreciate the thin chestnut
margins of fresh black feathers on the mantle, scapulars, and tertials of
two, winter plumage or first year, male Red-winged Black Birds eating their
cat tail breakfast within 20 feet of observation deck.

On our way to the boardwalk, more raptors made their appearance with a
Red-tailed Hawk flying over the dike trail to McAllister Creek and a perched
American kestrel in a tree by the pond. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were
inconspicuously foraging the shrubs along the parking lot.

Along the boardwalk towards the Twin Barns, we were excited to see
Golden-crown Kinglets, and began to appreciate the increased number of
birds! Some of the trucks that were working on the refuge restructure were
running, but perhaps not as many as in previous weeks. Violet Green
Swallows and Barn Swallows were still around, but in much smaller numbers
and flying at higher elevations. We also observed Cedar Waxwings and Canada
Geese. An eastern Gray squirrel was busy rearranging leaves under the
boardwalk, while a singular refined Lincoln Sparrow distracted us from the
blinding reflection of the morning sun, silhouetting the American Bittern
who insists on being our ?Where?s Waldo?? If that wasn?t exciting enough,
we had great looks of a female Northern Harrier spanning the fields that may
soon be flooded.

Just before turning out to the Twin Barns, we were scolded by the first of
many mixed species mobs, this one made up of Song Sparrows, Bewicks Wrens,
Spotted Towhee, Black-capped chickadees, Common Yellow-throat Warbler, Marsh
Wrens, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned
Kinglets.

The twin Barns overlook was a haven for sparrows. The Golden-crowned,
White-crowned, Savannah, Lincoln, and Song Sparrows far out numbered the
Goldfinch and House Finch. On the far field, just inside the newly built
protective dike we observed three Greater-White Fronted Geese with a Canada
goose. Later in the early afternoon, they would be joined with a small
flock of approximately 20 Greater White Fronts. Shorebirds were apparent by
the McAllister Creek dike, but were too far out to be identified.

On our way from the Twin Barns to the Nisqually River overlook we saw a
Winter Wren and expanded our Warbler list with sightings of Wilson?s warbler
and a group 8-10 Townsend?s Warblers high in cottonwoods. The river
overlook provided great views of a Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, and Belted
Kingfisher. Yellow-Rumped Warblers were seen across the river, and several
Vaux?s Swifts were sighted high above with Violet-green Swallows.

Along the boardwalk that runs parallel to the Nisqually River Dike, on our
way back to the Visitors Center, we ran into another large mixed species
flock. Many Brown Creeper were seen as well as Orange-crowned Warbler along
with the usual suspects Chickadees and Kinglets. An Osprey was seen several
hundred feet above, as we continued to study the Vaux?s Swift mixed in with
the Violet-green Swallows.

Morning Dove and Stellar?s Jay topped off the walk, with a total of 53
species seen. I think overall, we were impressed with the number and
variety of species, and beauty of the day.

Until next week, when we look forward to seeing our steadfast leader Phil
Kelly again, good birding!

Shep Thorp
Browns Point, Tacoma
sthorp at theaec.com <mailto:sthorp at theaec.com>
253-370-3742