Hi Tweeters,

Eighteen of us enjoyed a snowy Nisqually walk. The temperature hovered around 32 and snow fell until mid-morning. It was a beautiful setting and the birds were out enjoying too. Refuge tide chart showed low tide of 7' 4" at 10:46am.

Highlights for the group that did the shorter walk are below, followed by Jon's eBird report that includes all sightings for the day.

Visitor Center: Northern Flicker, Wilson's Snipe, Pied-billed Grebe, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, and a Beaver.

Riverside Boardwalk and Riparian Overlook: Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Downy Woodpecker, Common Raven, Red-tailed Hawk, Red Breasted Sapsucker; and at the river overlook, Common Merganser, Bufflehead and harbor seal.

Dike: Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, Greater Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Northern Harrier, Green-winged Teal, Marsh Wren, Least Sandpiper, Virginia Rail, Common Goldeneye.
We watched the Peregrine chase a gull, and also saw the Peregrine and Bald Eagle skirmish in the air as they appeared to be competing for lunch rights to a Cackling Goose.

Total species: 59

Until next week when Shep will return. Phil will be back the following week.

Eric Slagle
Olympia

Here's Jon's eBird checklist for the entire walk.

>
> Location Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston County, Washington, US ( Map ) ( Hotspot )
> Date and Effort Wed Jan 11, 2017 8:00 AM
> Protocol: Traveling
> Party Size: 18
> Duration: 4 hour(s), 40 minute(s)
> Distance: 4.0 mile(s)
> Comments: Wednesday walk. Most still fresh water was frozen with the Temperature 28-30? F, light south breeze, overcast with snow showers. Mammals seen were Eastern Grey Squirrels, harbor seals & 5 Columbian black-tailed deer. -2.9 foot Low tide at 10:50.
> 59 species (+7 other taxa) total
> 1 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) Branta hutchinsii taverneri
> Only cackler seen all day! This one was acting 'tame'; maybe injured?
> 45 Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) Branta canadensis moffitti/maxima
> 2 Gadwall Anas strepera
> 1 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
> 415 American Wigeon Anas americana
> 75 Mallard (Northern) Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos/conboschas
> 1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
> 120 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
> One 'Storm' wigeon drake
> 750 Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
> 2 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
> 65 Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
> 8 Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
> 5 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
> 4 Common Merganser Mergus merganser
> 3 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
> 1 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
> 7 Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
> 16 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
> 1 Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
> female
> 12 Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
> 3 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
> 2 Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
> 18 American Coot Fulica americana
> 4 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
> 1,100 Dunlin Calidris alpina
> 3 Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
> 1 wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
> At Visitors' Center pond
> 12 Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
> 2 Mew Gull Larus canus
> 40 Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
> 15 Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens
> 2 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) Larus occidentalis x glaucescens
> 10 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull Larus occidentalis/glaucescens
> 25 Larus sp. Larus sp.
> 7 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)
> 1 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
> 1 Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
> 4 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
> 4 Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) Picoides pubescens gairdnerii/turati
> 2 Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) Picoides villosus [harrisi Group]
> 2 Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
> 2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]
> 1 Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
> 1 American Kestrel Falco sparverius
> Female on the usual snag north of the Twin Barns
> 2 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
> One being very aggressive toward eagles, etc.
> 2 Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
> 12 American/Northwestern Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos/caurinus
> 3 Common Raven Corvus corax
> 30 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
> 2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens
> 3 Brown Creeper Certhia americana
> 4 Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus
> 4 Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
> 3 Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
> 24 Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
> 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
> 3 American Robin Turdus migratorius
> 30 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
> 3 Fox Sparrow (Sooty) Passerella iliaca [unalaschcensis Group]
> 5 Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
> 26 Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
> 1 Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
> 6 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) Pipilo maculatus [oregonus Group]
> 1 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
> 1 Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
> 5 Purple Finch (Western) Haemorhous purpureus californicus
>
>
>
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