Subject: [Tweeters] Whimbrels at Nisqually
Date: Jun 1 17:34:31 2012
From: wheelermombi at comcast.net - wheelermombi at comcast.net


Hi Tweeters,

My daughter and I went to Nisqually NWR this afternoon. On the dike trail a little before it junctures with the boardwalk, we saw a flock of Whimbrels feeding in the mudflats. The tide was coming in (around 3:40) and when the water reached them, they took to the air, circled around briefly, then flew parallel and then over the trail less than 50' from where we were standing, vocalizing the whole time. I counted 46 birds in the flock. A couple of minutes later, a second flock flew in from a more distant section of the mudflats. This flock had 33 birds. Like a lot of people, I was curious about the resulting environmental changes to the refuge when the dike was breached. I must say that I really enjoy watching the shorebirds in the new habitat during migration.

Good birding

Lonnie Somer
Olympia
wheelermombi at comcast.net