Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge — Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024

My hiking group had Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on our schedule for today.  We pulled in before 9:30 and the parking area was 1/4 full.  The visitor center was closed but the bathrooms were open and clean.  It was 48 degrees with a stiff South breeze and threatening rain clouds. We donned rain gear and headed out on the Nisqually River Boardwalk Trail and a couple serious bird photographers were here capturing great heron photos.  Then we took a left on the gravel Brown Dike Farm Trail past the twin barns and on out to the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.  The tide was completely out so lots of shore birds on the mud flats. There were oodles of duck and gull species, sand pipers, cormorants. The last 700’ of the boardwalk is closed at this time of year - annual seasonal closure from October to January for waterfowl hunting season. We learned the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is not open to hunting, waterfowl hunting does occur on Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife land immediately adjacent to the trail.  On our return the sun tried to peak out and there were more heron, ducks and geese in the mowed grassland areas south of the dike. When we pulled out at 11:30 there were several large school preschool and elementary students out in the refuge - great to see little people wearing binoculars arounds there necks. It felt great to be out in nature after taking 7 weeks off my feet due to a plantar fasciitis flare up. Another fantastic day out enjoying nature with friends.