Sorry my report bounced back for some reason. But Wednesday, October 8 was a great bird walk at Nisqually. Jerry Broadus and I led the walk for 31 birders. It started off with heavy fog but cleared off and although the tide was low at 12:30 PM there were lots of shorebirds and ducks present. Also it was a great day for mammals, long-tailed weasel checking us all out as well as a mink. ?We also had beaver, raccoon and sea lions.
71 species for the day, with highlights being the usual October arrival of large flocks of cackling geese, plus the canada geese and 3 white-fronteds. Big flocks of teal, wigeon and shovelers are present as well as a groups of pintails. ?At the far end of the outer boardwalk we had surf scoters, common loon and six bald eagles. ?We had been talking about the osprey being gone when Leah spotted one on a dead tree nearby. ?Four species of gulls, included California gull.
Lots of shorebirds were on the surge plain, black-bellied plovers, leasts sandpipers, dunlin, greater yellow-legs and killdeer. ?We had 14 Wilson's snipe explode out of the cattails when a raptor threatened. ?The northern shrike has returned, as well as several harriers, coopers hawk, ?& red-tailed hawk. ?A huge kettle of turkey vultures migrated through totaling 36.
Common yellowthroat was our only warbler for the day, down from 7 species last week. But we had three wren species, bewicks, pacific, marsh. ?Added to this was a hermit thrush, four sparrow species, golden crown, song, lincoln's and savannah. ?Meadwolarks and american pipits were active north of the outer dike beyond the barns.
The bird of the day was found by a first grader on his field trip, a barred owl. It was photographed by the advisor. ?It has been present for over a month at Nisqually, this time near the beaver dam. ?It's always exciting this time of year.
Dave Richardson