October 12th & 20th 2011
Nisqually and Ridgefield
We had such a good time in California in April that we started California Dreaming when the rains were pouring down. With a short time before cold weather we thought another road trip would be in order. We had done a lot of research during the last few weeks about where birds would be in good numbers. There is nothing worse than arriving at a destination and not finding your target birds because they have migrated to another climate.
We decided to drive the I-5 this time, it is not conducive to stopping for birding at the side of the road because it is basically freeway most of the way, but it was a quicker way to travel to get to California.
We had decided that our first major birding spot would be Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, Washington; we also stopped here on our way back. That would be the 12th and the 19th of October 2011. There is waterfowl hunting allowed here so one has to plan their visits carefully. Here is a link to their Website: http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/
We stopped in at the Interpretive Centre where we purchased a couple of the Birding Washington maps and had a nice visit with Mary Lou and Richard.
Click below to hear sounds of Nisqually
We headed out on the trail.
We found dozens of Cackling Geese in a field near the twin barns.
Several Great Blue Herons fishing at the impressive new board walk, we enjoyed chatting with Skyler from New Jersey while we were out there.
From the boardwalk near the Interpretivce Centre we watched Mallards in the marsh area.
Savannah Sparrows and Song Sparrows were seen along the way.
Caterpillars were seen on the paths.
We stopped to take a few photos of distant Killdeers when a Northern Harrier flew in scaring them all into flight.
Our next stop was Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield Washington. This is another refuge that allows hunting, so visits have to be carefully planned. The refuge turnoff is clearly marked on the I-5 with markers all the way to the refuge. Here is a link to their Website information: http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ridgefield/index.html
We took the 4.2 mile auto tour as it was dark, cloudy and drizzly when we arrived. It was a new experience for us to drive through a refuge while photographing living creatures. Getting out of the car is not allowed.
Great Egrets were often seen along the way.
Great Blue Herons were also very evident.
Sandhill Cranes flew overhead in large numbers.
A few Blue-winged Teal were seen off in the distance with dozens of other waterfowl.
A male Belted Kingfisher stopped on a snag before diving into the water below.
Nutria, a new creature for us was found in large numbers.
We are not authorities on birds, wildlife, plants, cameras or photography, if you are doing research on any subjects, please refer to a more educational site for advice and double-check whatever you research.
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