Date: 8/24/26 5:44 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 8/19/2026
Hi Tweets!!
Sorry for the delayed report, but as you might imagine, we had another
fabulous day at the Refuge with our wonderful Wednesday Walk group on
8/19. Temperatures ranged from the 50s to the 80s Fahrenheit, and a high
tide of 10'5" at 12:17 p.m. gave us decent looks at shorebirds. Highlights
included excellent autumnal migration with decent looks of BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLER, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, and WESTERN TANAGER in the Riparian
Forest. And first of year BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS out on
the mudflats with good numbers of peeps. Another interesting behavior new
to many of us was observing predominantly BARN SWALLOWS foraging on seeds
from plants in the field south of the Twin Barns. Approximately 100 Barn
Swallows, with an occasional Bank Swallow, were feasting on seed clusters
atop knee-high brown plants in the dried up field.
We observed 72 species for the day. With FOY MacGillivray's Warbler,
Evening Grosbeak, Baird's Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs... we have now
observed 158 species so far this year. Please see our eBird Report pasted
below for additional details.
Until next week, when we meet again at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook at
8am, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Aug 19, 2026 7:25 AM - 4:56 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.129 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy in the morning, sunny in the
afternoon, temperatures in the 50’s to 80’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High
10’5” Tide at 12:17pm. Others seen Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend’s
Chipmunk, Muskrat, Harbor Seal, and California Sealion.
72 species (+3 other taxa)
Wood Duck 10 Juveniles.
Mallard 100
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 28
Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 8
Mourning Dove 4
Anna's Hummingbird 2
hummingbird sp. 2
Killdeer 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Nisqually Estuary Trail. Saltwater side of dike.
Just before Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.
Greater Yellowlegs 20
Baird's Sandpiper 3 Observed with WESA and LESA with bins and scope at
100 feet on saltwater mudflats north of Nisqually Estuary Trail. Long
winged attenuated small shorebird with black legs, buffy head and scaly
patterned feathers on mantle with moderate sized straight bill. Appears to
be juveniles.
Least Sandpiper 150 Mixed with WESA. Counted in groups of 50.
Western Sandpiper 850 Mixed with LESA, counted in groups of 50.
Approximately 1000 peep sized shorebirds seen and counted.
Short-billed Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 100
California Gull 18
Glaucous-winged Gull 4
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2
Larus sp. 200
Caspian Tern 2
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Brandt's Cormorant 5 Nisqually River Channel marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 40
American Bittern 1 Seen by Laurie and Ellen flying over freshwater
marsh.
Great Blue Heron 40
Osprey (American) 3
Cooper's Hawk 1 Seen by several in area of Twin Barns.
Northern Harrier 1 Seen by Anders south of Twin Barns.
Bald Eagle 6
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-breasted Sapsucker (ruber) 1 Pear trees near land trust building.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 4
Merlin 1 Observed by Jim flying over McAllister creek.
Western Wood-Pewee 4
Willow Flycatcher 2
Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 1
Western Warbling Vireo 10
American Crow 20
Common Raven 5
Black-capped Chickadee 15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Bank Swallow 1 Foraging on plants with BASW in field south of Twin
Barns.
Violet-green Swallow 2
Purple Martin 2 Luhr Beach gourds.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow (American) 100 Numerous swallow perched and feeding on
brown seeds in fields south of Twin Barns.
Bushtit (Pacific) 25
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 3
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 4
European Starling 500
Swainson's Thrush (Russet-backed) 2
American Robin (migratorius Group) 12
Cedar Waxwing 20
Evening Grosbeak 1 Heard by Shep in tall Cottonwooods on the inside of
the Twin Barn Loop Trail across from the Twin Barns cut-off.
Purple Finch (Western) 2
Red Crossbill (Douglas-fir or type 4) 5 Heard by several around the
west side parking lot.
American Goldfinch 30
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 4
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 3
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 15
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
MacGillivray's Warbler 2 Juveniles. Twin Barns Loop Trail.
Common Yellowthroat 6
Northern Yellow Warbler 4
Black-throated Gray Warbler 4
Wilson's Warbler 2
Western Tanager 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
