Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 10/29/14
Date: Oct 29 18:37:31 2014
From: scrubjay323 at aol.com - scrubjay323 at aol.com



Tweets,


Today 22 of us enjoyed a great day at Nisqually! We had great weather and the birds were very active between storms. It was the best day we had in a long time. We had bright sunshine part of the day that highlighted some birds and a 13.6 high tide at 10;51 AM that pushed the shorebirds close to the dike.

Highlights included watching a KESTREL capture and eat a vole, good looks at BLACK BELLIED PLOVER, several mixed flocks of actively feeding passerines, and lots of waterfowl.

There was nothing to note at the visitor center at the start of the walk but we hit our first small mixed flock between the visitor center and the orchard. We had both KINGLETS, both CHICKADEES, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, SONG and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and DOWNEY WOODPECKER. Later we added WILSON'S WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, CEDAR WAXWINGS, BROWN CREEPER, and HUTTON'S VIREO, my first of the year.

For raptors we saw RED-TAILED HAWKS, BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, an AMERICAN KESTREL, PEREGRINE FALCONS, and a couple of NORTHERN SHRIKE, one hawking dragonflies.

Waterfowl included MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVLERS, GREEN WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN and EURASIAN WIGEON, CANADA, CACKLING, and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and GADWALL and HOODED MERGANSER. Water level on the ponds is rising but there is still lots of vegetation obscuring views.

No one went out on the estuary boardwalk today as we had plenty to observe on the rest of the refuge.

For the day I had 58 species and I know of a few I missed. The HUTTON'S VIREO was new for the year for me. I now have 141 species for the year.

We had a couple of sightings of BLACK-TAILED DEER as our only mammals.

Until next week....

Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at aol.com
Lacey, WA