Tweets,

Yesterday, 16 of us survived a blustery day at Nisqually. It squalled, it blew, and it never got above 60 degrees. We had a 12.5 high tide at 12:40 and lots of water out on the surge plain.

Waterfowl numbers are increasing as is the variety of waterfowl. Shorebirds continue in good numbers and we enjoyed watching raptors floating on the wind.

At the pond at the visitor center we had a couple of RIVER OTTERS and I saw an other OTTER in the slough along the Nisqually side about 11:00. There were a couple of BLACK-TAILED DEER in the children's nature area near the Ed Center.

Passerines were pretty scarce but we did manage to see PACIFIC and MARSH WREN, CEDAR WAXWINGS, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and SONG and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. I got lucky on the way back to the visitor center and found a small mixed flock that contained both KINGLETS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BROWN CREEPER, and DOWNEY WOODPECKER.

Out on the surge plain we saw BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and we had a couple of flybys of WILSON'S SNIPE.

There were lots of GREEN-WINGED TEAL , MALLARDS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GADWALL, and couple of HOODED MERGANSERS about.

We didn't see many BALD EAGLES, but watched an OSPREY soar over the refuge before it lit on a bush by McAllister Creek. We also saw PEREGRINE FALCON, RED-TAILED HAWKS, and NORTHERN HARRIERS.

For the day I had 43 species and still have 140 for the year.

Hunting season is open so the last 700 feet of the estuary boardwalk is closed until late January for safety reasons.

Until next week....

Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at aol.com
Lacey, WA