Tweets,

Yesterday 16 of us enjoyed a great walk at Nisqually. It helped that the
forecast rain never showed up. And the birds cooperated as well.

Highlights included the lingering HERMIT THRUSH, a cooperative NORTHERN
SHRIKE, and a GREAT HORNED OWL.

There is lots of water on the refuge and waterfowl are dispersed so there
are no gigantic concentrations but the EURASIAN WIGEON continues on the pond
behind the visitor center. Also seen there were MALLARDS, AMERICAN
WIGEON, BUFFLEHEAD, and HOODED MERGANSER. Other waterfowl seen included LESSER
SCAUP, NORTHERN PINTAIL and SHOVELERS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING NECK DUCKS,
COMMON GOLDENEYE, and CACLING GEESE. The new boardwalk is not open yet but
it is close. Hopefully next week we can get out there.

On the way to the twin barns we saw a nice mixed flock of passerines. In
the flock were both KINGLETS, BROWN CREEPER, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED
CHICKADEE, DOWNEY WOODPECK, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, JUNCOS, and GOLDFINCH.

The HERMIT THRUSH continues along the slough near the Nisqually River
overlook and gave everyone great looks as it foraged along the edge of the
slough.

A juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE was perched on a gate post out along the new
dike just past the construction staging area. It flew, hovered, dropped to
the ground to catch something and then repeated the exercise several times.
After that is followed us out to the end of the dike and back to where it
started. It put on quite a show.

On the way back to the visitor center Eric spotted a GREAT HORNED OWL
inside the boardwalk as we neared the benches along the Nisqually River side.
I had just looked in that area and missed the OWL. Eric seems to spot them
when no one else can.

All told we had 53 species for the day with nothing new for the year. The
only mammals seen were HARBOR SEALS and CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS in the
Nisqually River.


Until next week.....Merry Christmas.

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