Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 10/10/12
Date: Oct 10 21:33:47 2012
From: Scrubjay323 at aol.com - Scrubjay323 at aol.com


Tweets,

Today 26 of us enjoyed a damp, chilly walk at Nisqually. It was foggy and
cold at the start and never really cleared up. We had a 12.4 high tide at
2:57 so the estuary boardwalk part of the walk should have been pretty
good. I didn't get all the way out as I had expected it to warm up and didn't
dress properly for the conditions.

As a note Waterfowl season starts Saturday and the final 700 feet and last
pavilion will be closed except for next Thursday and Friday until the end
of January for safety reasons.

Although the day started out slow it turned out pretty good. Shep had a
HERMIT THRUSH in the riparian area just off the parking lot toward the
entrance road and we saw our first winter mixed flock along the boardwalk toward
the twin barns. In it we saw both KINGLETS, both CHICKADEES, BEWICK'S WREN.
PACIFIC WREN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a DOWNEY WOODPECKER.

It seems most of the day's action occurred out in the surge plain where we
had WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, AMERICAN PIPITS, the GREAT EGRET, KILLDEER,
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

We also had NORTHERN HARRIER, COOPER'S HAWK, a NORTHERN SHRIKE and
PEREGRINE FALCON in that area. Roosting on one of the barns we had a RED-TAILED
HAWK and an adult BALD EAGLE was in the cottonwoods over the Nisqually River
overlook. A MERLIN flew over the dike near the start of the estuary
boardwalk

We located an adult GREAT HORNED OWL inside the boardwalk along the
Nisqually River side about 100 yards from the cross over boardwalk to the twin
barns.

For the day I had 48 species and those who walked the full boardwalk had a
few more. I now have 132 species for the year.

Mammals seen were HARBOR SEAL and EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL.

Until next week....


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