Hi Tweets,
approximately 22 of us had another beautiful day at the Refuge with sunny
skies and temperatures in the 60's to 80's degrees Fahrenheit. A 'low'
High 9.33ft Tide at 12:11pm gave us plenty of water's edge and mud to enjoy
shorebirds. Highlights included a singing RED-EYED VIREO behind the
Education Center and along the east side parking lot, fly by of the
AMERICAN BITTERN in the fields south of the Twin Barns, first of autumn
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS in the freshwater marsh, and continuing AMERICAN
WHITE PELICAN in the freshwater marsh and mouth of the Nisqually River. We
also had nice looks of an immature MERLIN hunting swallows over
the freshwater marsh. The morning chorus is petering out, we dipped on
hearing/seeing our Savannah Sparrow breeders, as we approach the summer
doldrums. Plenty of juveniles seen. Mink was seen in the Orchard, and we
have regularly seen Mink and Long-tailed Weasel along the west entrance to
the Twin Barns Loop Trail and between the Twin Barns and Twin Barns
Overlook. See eBird list pasted. We observed 67 species and have seen 157
species this year. Until next week, happy birding!
Shep

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Jul 20, 2022 7:41 AM - 4:21 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.871 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Sunny skies with temperatures in
the 60's to 80's degree Fahrenheit. A High 9.33ft Tide at 12:11pm. Mammals
seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Mink, Columbian Black-tailed Deer,
Muskrat, and Harbor Seal.
67 species (+4 other taxa)

Canada Goose 18
Wood Duck 15
Cinnamon Teal 2
Mallard 30
Hooded Merganser 7
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4
Band-tailed Pigeon 8
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
Mourning Dove 2
Rufous Hummingbird 6
hummingbird sp. 3
Killdeer 3
Least Sandpiper 12
Western Sandpiper 60
Long-billed Dowitcher 2
Greater Yellowlegs 4
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Ring-billed Gull 200
California Gull 300
Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Larus sp. 200
Caspian Tern 50
Brandt's Cormorant 2
Double-crested Cormorant 300
American White Pelican 20 Previously reported. Five birds seen in
fresh water marsh and fifteen birds seen at mouth of Nisqually River.
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 120
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 15
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Belted Kingfisher 3
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Merlin 1
Western Wood-Pewee 9
Willow Flycatcher 8
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 2
Warbling Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Steller's Jay 2
American Crow 9
Black-capped Chickadee 17
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Purple Martin 4
Tree Swallow 15
Violet-green Swallow 2
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 30
Cliff Swallow 17
Bushtit 2
Brown Creeper 4
Bewick's Wren 8
European Starling 400
Swainson's Thrush 41
American Robin 20
Cedar Waxwing 50
House Finch 2
Purple Finch 3
Pine Siskin 1
American Goldfinch 18
Song Sparrow 28
Spotted Towhee 2
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Brown-headed Cowbird 50
Common Yellowthroat 10
Yellow Warbler 20
Wilson's Warbler 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S115461724

--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742