Tweets,

To quote Snoopy "It was a dark and stormy morning" yesterday when 18 hardy
folks walked Nisqually for the last weekly bird walk for 2011. The weather
blew, rained, cleared a bit, blew some more, rained some more, well you
get the picture. At least branches and trees weren't falling.

We did have periods of activity between squalls that made the day bearable.
High tide was at 8:33 at 15.2 so there was lots of water and little mud to
see. And the recent rains have started filling up the interior ponds.

The highlights were all the interaction between the BALD EAGLES. There
was pair bonding activity as well as an adult feeding on a salmon carcass
with several juveniles waiting to steal a piece, and lots roosting on trees and
snags.

We didn't make it out to the end of the new boardwalk so we didn't see the
SNOWY OWL or any of the other suspects we would see on the salt. There was
nothing but BUFFLEHEAD up McAllister Creek which was unusual.

We did get great views of the GREAT EGRET as it flew across the new dike
near the twin barns and landed within 10 yards of the dike and remained
there while the group eased by.

The highlight of the day was a family of RIVER OTTERS that paraded by the
twin barns overlook in the slough there giving everyone good looks. One
rolled onto its back and watched us for a few seconds. Wondered what we were
doing out in that weather, I guess.

For the day we had 39 species and for the year I have 136 species on the
refuge. The group as a whole has a much higher count when you include boat
surveys but I'm usually land based.

Mammals seen were COLUMBIAN BLACK-TAILED DEER, EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, RIVER
OTTERS, and HARBOR SEALS.

Until next year....

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