Subject: [Tweeters] Nisqually NWR 12/30/15
Date: Jan 1 15:30:18 2016
From: Phil Kelley - scrubjay323 at gmail.com


Tweets,

Sorry for the late report but I've been doing a bit of research before I
posted this report. News Year Eve bowl games got in the way also.

50 of us enjoyed a cold but productive day at Nisqually Wednesday. It was
in the upper 20s at the start but there was no wind and the sun was out.
Nothing really special but we had good numbers of birds. Most of the ponds
were frozen so most of the waterfowl were out in the reclamation area. We
had a 0.6 low tide at 2:16 PM so we had a falling tide when we got to the
estuary boardwalk. No one walked to the end of the estuary boardwalk. I
don't ever remember that happening before. A couple of us did the first
pavilion but that was it.

Out in the restoration are we got good looks at a STORM WIGEON and a
EURASIAN WIGEON in close proximity to each other. Out on McAllister Creek
we saw COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, and SURF SCOTERS.

A VIRGINIA RAIL was seen be some of the folks just before the turn off to
the twin barns and the GREAT HORNED OWL is still in the nest tree inside
the boardwalk between the twin barns turn off and the Nisqually side.

For the day I had 50 species and ended up with 151 species for the year,
the second highest yearly total behind 152 in 2007. A MOURNING DOVE near
the orchard was my151st species for the year. Folks who walked the estuary
boardwalk every week were near 190 species for the year. Guess I need to
walk further this year.

Mammals seen included BLACK-TAILED DEER and HARBOR SEAL.

Until next week....HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at gmail.com
Lacey, WA
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