Tweets,

Yesterday 10 of us enjoyed a productive walk at Nisqually under varying
conditions. It started out rainy for the first hour and a half or so and
then the skies cleared and the breeze picked up and the temperature dropped.
To compound matters the Nisqually side of the boardwalk was still closed
for cleanup after last weeks storm. We had a 15.05 high tide at 7:19 AM.

The highlight of day was a GLAUCOUS GULL seen on McAllister Creek and
sightings of AMERICAN BITTERN and VIRGINIA RAIL. I wondered how they would
weather the snow but they seemed to be just fine.

The GLAUCOUS GULL was seen resting on a sand bar up McAllister Creek from
the start of the new boardwalk as we returned from farther out. When first
spotted our initial thought was that it was the GREAT EGRET (which we didn't
see). When we got a scope on it we found "just a gull". Closer
examination revealed a juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL! Large, pale bird, pale pinkish
legs, yellow iris, dark tip on a dull pink bill.

The BITTERN was seen along the boardwalk on the way to the twin barns and
flushed and landed near the cross over trail to the new dike. Shep and the
later group head and flushed a VIRGINIA RAIL on the way back from the end
of the new boardwalk later in the day.

There now is plenty of water on the refuge but the waterfowl population is
down a bit after the storm. Things will settle down as we get back to
normal winter weather.

For the day we saw 58 species but no mammals.

Just a reminder that waterfowl hunting closes Sunday and the new boardwalk
opens to the end on Monday. Also Monday is a refuge wide survey starting
at 8:15 AM. If you are interested in helping count the birds on the refuge
contact me for details.

Until next week.....



Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at aol.com
Lacey, WA
360-970-6323