Tweets,

Today 16 of us enjoyed a wet, cold walk at Nisqually. It was raining at the
start and again at the finish but actually got pretty nice in the middle of
the walk. We had a 5.5 low tide at 2:21 PM so water was dropping when we
got out to the estuary boardwalk.

Highlights included a BEAVER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, AMERICAN BITTERN, and a
PEREGRINE FALCON.

We spotted the BEAVER at the visitor center pond at the start of the walk
and had the PEREGRINE FALCON in the topped cottonwood tree near the start
of the boardwalk. The FALCON withstood several dive bombing from the CROWS
before it took off for a quieter location.

The NORTHERN SHRIKE was initially spotted out near McAllister Creek in a
yellow twig dogwood it seems to like but later flew in near the start of
the estuary boardwalk where we got better looks.

The BITTERN was on the outside of the dike near the start of the estuary
boardwalk and flew over the dike to the cattails where we got good if brief
looks at it before it vanished into the cattails.

It was a good day for raptors with several BALD EAGLES, the PEREGRINE
FALCON, RED-TAILED HAWKS, COOPER'S HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, and AMERICAN
KESTRAL being seen. Passerines were not as numerous as they have been in
recent weeks but the weather may have contributed to that.

We did spot several FOX SPARROWS and found a LINCOLN'S SPARROW out near the
start of the estuary boardwalk.

For the day I had 49 species and now have 55 for the year. Besides the
BEAVER other mammal seen were BLACK-TAILED DEER and HARBOR SEAL.

Until next week....

Phil Kelley
scrubjay323 at gmail.com
Lacey, WA
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