Hi Tweets

twenty five of us or so had a very nice day at the Refuge with partly
cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit.
Highlights included the return of the PINE SISKIN with high counts of
200+. Large flocks of CACKLING GEESE 1000+. Good shorebirds with the
return of DUNLIN in non-breeding plumage. Late CASPIAN TERN x 4 with
juvenile, and AMERICAN BITTERN sighting as well.

Starting out at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at 8am we observed FOS
RING-NECKED DUCK with AMERICAN WIGEON and HOODED MERGANSER.

The Orchard was good for hundreds of PINE SISKIN, DOWNY WOODPECKER, ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, AMERICAN ROBIN, and VARIED THRUSH.

The fields along the entrance road and south of the access road are being
flooded as they usually are this time of year. Providing great habitat for
CACKLING GEESE, both minimas and taverners, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
MALLARD and NORTHERN SHOVELER. Good numbers of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER were
observed along the slough next to the access road with good looks at both
varieties, typical wintering Audubons and typical migrating Myrtle. An
immature intergrade was spotted with a nice white smile up behind the ear
and no white eyebrow.

The access road west of the parking lot was great for sparrows. Good looks
of GOLDEN-CROWNED, SAVANNAH, SONG SPARROW, DARK-EYE JUNCO and SPOTTED
TOWHEE. We observed a Cassiar/Slate-colored type Junco, mostly gray with
small amount of brown on the wings, no obvious hood, gray on the sides and
concave demarcation on the breast. Best guess might be immature
Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco. BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, CEDAR WAXWING
were also seen, with dozens of AMERICAN PIPITs flying over the fields.

The west side of the Twin Barns Loop trail was good for both GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. We had nice looks at HERMIT THRUSH and
WILSON SNIPE.

We had AMERICAN GOLDFINCH at the Twin Barns Overlook. And good looks of
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and LINCOLN'S SPARROW where the access road joins
the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail.

Out on the Nisqually Estuary Trail, the restored surge plain was covered in
waterfowl. Mostly GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and now the NORTHERN
PINTAIL have shown up in good numbers. Several RING-BILLED GULL were
foraging with plunge diving technique. PEREGRINE FALCON and AMERICAN
KESTREL were observed hunting. WESTERN MEADOWLARK was seen along Leschi
Slough. When we first arrived on the dike, it was high tide with little
mud. Roosting with gulls, we found a small flock of DUNLIN (FOS) and
WESTERN SANDPIPER. On the freshwater side we observed MARSH WREN,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and possibly heard SWAMP SPARROW near the green gate.
To our surprise, we saw a VARIED THRUSH in the marsh. An AMERICAN BITTERN
was flushed and seen by some of our group.

On the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail, during the falling tide, we
observed DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, BRANDT CORMORANT, PELAGIC CORMORANT,
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, COMMON LOON, SURF SCOTER, WESTERN
GREBE, HORNED GREBE, CALIFORNIA GULL, MEW GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL,
WESTERN GULL, WESTERN X GLAUCOUS-WINGED hybrid GULL, GREAT BLUE HERON, good
numbers of LEAST SANDPIPER and WESTERN SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER,
SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, DUNLIN and GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

On our return, on the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, just north of
the beaver dam, we had a nice mixed flock of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE,
CHESTNUT SIDED CHICKADEE, BROWN CREEPER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, BUSHTIT,
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER -
including gray headed variety, and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER. FOX SPARROW was
also seen.

For the day we had 83 species, with 163 species for the year.

Mammals seen included Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.

Until next week when Phil returns to lead the walk again, good birding!

Shep



--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742