Hi Tweeters,

I led a nice biodiversity field trip for UW students this morning at Nisqually NWR. ?After dropping my students off this afternoon on the Seattle campus, I couldn't resist trying to see the Sage Thrasher found at Magnuson Park. ?No luck, but on my walk back to the car, I found 3 Whimbrel feeding in the playfield east of Kite Hill, unfortunately they were flushed by unaware walkers and appear to have left the park. ?Documenting video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpbTLpcGbSI


Below are the Nisqually highlights (about 73 species total), and here are a few pictures from Nisqually NWR this morning:?http://tinyurl.com/d4hx7hl
- 2 Black-necked Stilts scoped from the pullout by the main entrance, then later seen from the Dike Trail (pic included in link above)
- 7 other shorebird species, including comparison views of the Yellowlegs, and a Semipalmated Plover
- 3 male Hooded Mergansers vying for 1 lady:?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29rufNuO_o0
- 1 American Bittern in flight from main entrance pullout
- 80 Great Blue Herons counted in a scan from the end overlook
- 1 Peregrine Falcon, probably the same bird just reported by another Tweeters member, as I saw it on perched on top of the metal bridge before you turn off of I-5, eating prey - must've been the Rock Pigeon!
- among the many, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, a few first-of-the-years included Yellow and Wilson's Warbler and Warbling Vireo.
- a Black-capped Chickadee "one-second" copulation event - here is the female after the "quickie": ?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqiOBNj-BWs
- the first Mink I've seen, and the students also loved seeing a Pacific Tree Frog

Good birding,
Evan Houston
Seattle, WA