This morning was deliciously cool (OK, I’ve just returned home
from a cross-country trip where the temperatures and humidity were a bit
higher…) and mostly sunny. I went to the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge for the weekly Wednesday Bird Walk led by Refuge Volunteers.
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| Phil has led the Nisqually Wednesday Bird Walk for years and yea |
The Refuge was just called "Nisqually
NWR" until December 18, 2015, when President Barack Obama signed the Billy Frank Jr. Tell Your Story Act into law, re-designating the wildlife refuge
in honor of Nisqually tribe leader and treaty rights activist Billy Frank, Jr.,
who died in 2014.
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A Good Man: Billy Frank Jr. 1931 - May 5, 2014
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Today,
Phil Kelley had to leave early, and Shep Thorp was available, so others
led the group, and I volunteered to keep the eBird checklist and sent
the following trip report to the "Tweeters" birding e-mail group, which is hosted by the University of Washington.
The temperatures this morning were from 60-77º F, and today's tides
on the flats included a +9.00-foot high at 11:40 a.m., rising from the 6:04
a.m. low water at +3.64 feet, so it would have been perfect for viewing
shorebirds, if only they were in . . .
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Refuge Manager Glynnis Nakai greeting the Wednesday Walk birders
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Twenty-six birders, from Olympia to Texas, met at the Visitors’
Center at 8 a.m. for the walk, led by our able leader Phil Kelley. Highlights included nice sightings of Anna’s
Hummingbird, Yellow and Wilson’s Warblers, and Willow and Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Western Wood Pewees were pretty common.
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| Pewees are drab-plumaged little flycatchers |
Starting out at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook, we had
nice looks at an immature Bald Eagle being harassed by a Red-tailed Hawk. Many Barn and Tree Swallows were at the visitors’
center, and all along our route through the day.
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| Recently-fledged Barn Swallow |
Our first regular stop after leaving the center is at the Heritage
Orchard, which was pretty quiet, but we had nice looks of Tree Swallows, Cedar
Waxwings, Western Wood Pewees, and some warblers.
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| Barn Swallow on her cup-shaped mud nest |
Along the Access Road we had good looks at a Pacific-slope
Flycatcher, which was a ‘target bird’
for Mark, the visitor from Austin. A few Bank and Violet-green Swallows were seen mixed in with
the many foraging Tree, Barn, and Cliff Swallows.
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| Wilson's Warbler |
On the west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, we observed a few Mallard
broods, including ducklings that were half-grown, as well as a few three-day
old youngsters. As usual, there were Northern
Rough-winged Swallows foraging over the Visitor Center Pond. We had great looks at warblers, including Yellow Warblers feeding
young, and a LOT of Swainson’s Thrushes, both adult and young.
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| Chestnut-backed Chickadees are a West Coast specialty |
Black-capped Chickadees were seen along this
route, and at least one Chestnut-backed Chickadee was heard. We had nice looks at Willow Flycatcher in the
area of the Twin Barns Cut-off. A Long-tailed
Weasel threatened to climb up the pants leg of one of the birders, but got away
before a camera could be focused!
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| A Bald-faced Hornet nest along the trail keeps us on our toes |
The Twin Barns Overlook revealed Common Yellowthroats, as well as
confirmation that the Tree Swallows were still feeding their youngsters at the
nest boxes. The Nisqually Estuary "north dike" Trail provided views
of Ring-billed Gulls, but was otherwise pretty quiet. In the fresh water marsh on the inside of the
dike, Hans spotted a Virginia Rail, and while we were watching it, a juvenile Sora
foraged nearby, getting chased off by the rail.
We observed many swallows including Bank Swallow, and a few Marsh Wrens.
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| Twenty shots, and this is the best that I got of the rail . . . |
Out on the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk
Trail, there is a colony of 40 plus Cliff Swallows nesting in the McAllister
Creek Viewing Platform.
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| Cliff Swallow in her jug-shaped nest |
The Bald Eagle
nests along McAllister Creek were empty, but adults and this year’s young were
seen along the boardwalk.
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| The Estuary Boardwalk along McAllister Creek |
Most birders had bailed at the boardwalk, but a few of us
continued to the end, seeing Belted Kingfisher, and many Ring-billed and dozens
of California gulls, along with several Caspian Terns and a handful of Glaucous-winged
Gulls.
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| We should always take time to smell the flowers: These are Puget Sound Gumweed Grindelia integrifolia |
From the Puget Sound Observation
Platform we scoped a single Brandt’s Cormorant on the channel marker, numerous
Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles on the flats.
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| Glaucous-winged Gull adult |
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| Third-cycle California Gull |
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| Second-cycle Ring-billed Gull |
On our return, from the west side of McAllister Creek, we heard
the “Quick! Three Beers!” call of the Olive-sided Flycatcher, as well as the
raucous calls of Steller’s Jays.
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| Brown Creeper |
The
east side of the boardwalk loop was good for both Brown Creeper, Black-capped
and Chestnut-backed Chickadees. I hope
the Texan, who left the group earlier, got looks at the Chessies!
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| The habitat along the riparian boardwalk |
At the Riparian overlook, there was a flock of Bushtits, a Red-breasted
Sapsucker, and a few more Chessies.
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| "Documentation Photo" of the sapsucker |
The count for today’s walk was 58 bird species. Mammals seen included an adult and a baby
mink, coyote, 2 does and a fawn Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
cottontail, Eastern grey squirrel, the long-tailed weasel, and a
dozen-and-a-half or so harbor seals.
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| Black-tailed doe skulking through the marsh |
Until next week when the Refuge Volunteers will welcome you at 8 a.m.
at the Refuge’s Visitor Center, here’s wishing you excellent birding!
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| Nobody seems to love Cowbirds, which I think are really cool native birds. |
Nisqually NWR eBird Checklist is Here
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| Nisqually Crow, showing that this is "the end" |
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