May 1 - Last Day at Nisqually for a while

I had a dentist appointment this morning, but it was over by 10 a.m., so I drove out to Nisqually NWR, as I won’t be able to go out on the weekly Wednesday Bird Walk for a while, as I’m leaving for Ohio next Monday.

I understand that there are no White Volcanoes in Ohio . . .

I caught up with the weekly Wednesday Birdwalk folks along the west boardwalk, looking at a Rufous Hummingbird on her nest.  Neither of our usual Refuge Volunteer leaders-of-the-walk, Shep Thorp nor Phil Kelley, was able to be here today, so Russ Smith and Ken Brown led the walk, and Russ pulled off partway out the north dike.

Along the dike, we usually see what geese remain this late in the Spring.  We were surprised by seeing a single Greater White-fronted Goose mixed in with the Cackling geese.

The "Specklebellies" nest on the Arctic tundra, and some winter all the way into Mexico.  We get a few in wintering in the area, as well as passing through on migration.

Outstanding in his field

And, the 'speck' does stand out amongst the Cacklers

The ”Cacklers” are on their way to nest on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

These Cacklers are Branta hutchinsii minima, and heading for their summer home

The resident Canada Geese nest here, and already have hatched their broods of goslings.

What's a Mother to do?

As it was, Ken and I were the only birders to go all the way out on the estuary boardwalk.  We usually sort through the gulls, and look for what shorebirds are left after the peak of the vernal migration.

A Narcissistic Ring-billed Gull

But, it was well that we made the effort, as we were treated to good views of a pair of Whimbrels.  The Whimbrel is a large shorebird that is fairly uncommon on the south Puget Sound beaches.

They can be found in small numbers throughout the year in Western Washington, but I’ve seen them during the Spring migration in agricultural fields.

Checking that no Peregrines are passing by . . .

Standing Pretty

In the shorebirds, the female is the larger, and has the longer bill

We returned back along the east side of the Twin Barns boardwalk loop, and noted that the Refuge folks had cut down a “beaver tree”.  This large cottonwood had been the subject of Bucky’s attention for over a year, and they’d completely girdled it as of last fall, so that it was dead by this Spring.  Dropping the tree removed the likelihood that it would fall across the boardwalk.

The walk resulted in 70 avian taxa being seen, although I missed on seeing about a dozen species due to my late arrival.  But, it was a good day to be out on the Refuge.

Song Sparrow of the Puget Sound

After the walk, Ken and I ate lunch at the Nisqually Bar & Grill.  I had the sirloin steak lunch and 2 cans of cider for $22.  Yummers!

Nisqually NWR eBird Checklist is Here