Tweets,

Today 17 of us enjoyed a great day at Nisqually. It was nice to be
outside in weather other than rain for a change. It was sunny and cool, mid 40s
at best, with a 14.3 high at 10:22 AM. Plenty of water today!

Highlights included sighting of SNOWY OWL, GREAT HORNED OWL, and multiple
PEREGRINE FALCONS, including one taking a GREEN-WINGED TEAL just off the
outer dike.

The PEREGRINE FALCON taking the GREEN-WINGED TEAL was particularly
interesting as there were a couple thousand DUNLIN roosting in the area. We were
observing the FALCON roosting in a man made snag in the reclamation area
when it launched and caught the TEAL just inside the dike and proceeded to
devour it's prey very rapidly, often looking at the crowd of birders watching
it. It was swallowing chunks of meat with feathers still attached.

The SNOWY OWL was first seem from the start of the estuary boardwalk
roosting on a snag out on the Nisqually Reach. It appeared to be eating
something as it was "hooding" with it's wings and constantly bending down. I'm
sure the folks who went out to the end of the boardwalk got better views and
will report what they saw.

The GREAT HORNED OWL was seen inside the twin barns boardwalk on the
Nisqually River side roosting in a grove of alders. This is the same general
area it has been seen in the past few weeks.

There were still 3 WILSON'S SNIPE hanging out at the pond along the
entrance road across from the orchard and VARIED THRUSH were still present in the
orchard.

We spotted a male WOOD DUCK at the freshwater wetlands overlook on the
way to the twin barns. this is an unusually late sighting of WOOD DUCK for
Nisqually. It was a nice find for the day.

For the day I had 43 species with nothing new for the year.

Mammals seen were HARBOR SEAL and CALIFORNIA SEA LION, both in the
Nisqually River. Further evidence that the CHUM SALMON are running were the 16
BALD EAGLES seen along the river.

Until next week....

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