Towheeblog

Our PIB birding group today ventured northward to the bottom of the Puget Sound complex of waterways and inlets.  We birded Tolmie State Park, east of Olympia, WA.  Then we birded Nisqually NWR east of that.  Both are easily accessible from I-5.   And our Colorado birding clients got several lifers.  Some saw their first White-winged Scoter at Tolmie.  We also had Long-tailed Duck, Red-throated Loon and Red-breasted Merganser there.  Later at Nisqually we added Marsh Wren, Pileated Woodpecker, Eurasian Wigeon in the pond right next to the Visitors’ Center (closed on Monday-Tuesday), Peregrine and Northern Shrike. Our trip total now stands at over 90 species.  Most surprising species of the day: Barn Swallows.  Small flock fly0catching at the entrance to Nisqually around 5:30 PM!   What are they doing here?  It was only about 45 at the hottest today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This fine -featured gull is a Mew Gull.  Common Gull to the British birders.

 

Tow shots of the Eurasian Wigeon male.  A pair of Shoveleres whirling and swirling in one of the Nisqually ponds.  Thus they stir up good, edible much from the pond floor.