Bird Monitoring Goals

our bird monitoring goals are to learn how bird use of the restoration site evolves in concert with vegetation colonization. It's important therefore to make general notes on the character of the restoration site vegetation, in addition to the birds. As our capabilities improve, we also want to learn how bird use of this intertidal habitat compares with bird use of similar habitats on Nisqually Delta and other estuaries in south Puget Sound.

Bird Monitoring Protocol

Bird use of the restoration tideflats is greatest as the rising tide covers the tideflats; in season, waterfowl arrive to drift on the tide waters as they feed, dabbing adn ducking for seeds adn other food. Shorebirds, which probe the mud just in front of a rising tide, are "pushed" by rising tide waters from the Nisqually Flats onto high intertidal areas such as our monitoring site.

Our plan requires that we arrive at the southwest corner of the restoration site 40 minutes before the time of the 9.0 ft. tide on the Dupont Wharf tide gauge. This means we must meet at the farm gate near the foot of Mounts Rd. one hour before the time of the 9.0 ft. tide, and promptly move out.

From the southwest corner, two teams walk the edges of the newer, larger part of the restoration site. One team walks the Nisqually River dike to the vicinity of the old Nalley fishing lodge. The other team walks the edge between sthe restoration site and the high salt marsh meadows; this team must reach the north end by the time of the 9.0 ft. tide if they are to cross the slough draining into the old restoration site without getting wet. It takes 20 minutes to steadily walk this route, and more for serious bird observation and note-taking.

From the Nisqually Dike near the old Nalley lodge, we usually walk on east to Red Salmon Creek and back in time to observe the arrival of waterfowl and shorebirds onto the restoration site. This usually occurs from the 10-ft. tide through the 12-ft. or higher tide. We may use one of the old hunting blinds or just sit on the inner flank of the Nisqually River dike to hide ourselves from view.

Exiting, we all walk back along the Nisqually River dike.

Note-taking

You are encouraged to keep your own field notes; it's a good practice to develop which will aide you in learning more about avian natural history. One person in each party must keep comprehensive notes on all birds seen or heard at each stage of the day's observations.

The out-bound walk along the Nisqually River dike

The out-bound walk along the restoration site - high salt marsh edges

The walk to and from Red Salmon Creek

Observations of the restoration site during the rising of the tide

The in-bound walk along the dike

Additionally, we need to know which habitats the birds are using, and their behavior. Do not rely on a simple checklist to accomplish this.

The basic habitats are: restoration site, high salt marsh, Nisqually River, riparian woodlands, Red Salmon Creek, aerial (overhead). You can refine this by noting that a species is using the "riparian canopy" or the "riparian brush" or the "restoration site tidepools."

Behavior is such activity as resting, feeding, sleeping, preening, carrying nest-building material, etc. More specifically, when waterfowl feed, they may be dabbling, ducking, or diving on the water, or grazing on land. Swallows may be fly-catching many tens of feet in the air, in which case they are associated with no particular habitat; or they may be gliding and swooping a few feet above the ground, in which case they can be associated with that habitat.

What to Bring and Wear

You'll want to bring your binoculars and bird field guides, of course (and your spotting scope, if you have one). We recommend the current editions of either the National Geographic or Sibley field guides. Please also bring a notebook and pencil for recording observations. We recommend "Rite-in-the-Rain" notebooks with waterproof paper; they're available at Erlich's Stationers in downtown Olympia and at the Evergreen State College bookstore.

If you are going to walk the dike, sturdy walking shoes or lightweight hiking boots will be adequate. If you are going to walk the tideflat/high salt marsh edge, you'll want to wear knee-high rubber boots. Expect muddy ground somewhere on your path. If the tide is going to be much above 12 ft, you'll want to wear knee-high boots regardless. Otherwise, dress for the weather. We're usually in the field from three to four hours, so bring food and water according to the time of day and your needs.