Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge — Monday, Nov. 30, 2015

Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma Area

There were not many cars in the parking lot when we arrived on this very cold day! The ponds had a thin layer of ice so the only ducks seen were a few mallards in the open waters of the pond behind the visitor center. It was high tide so there were many teal, mallards, and widgeons in the waters as we walked along the dike to the boardwalk. We saw 4 eagles, 2 heron, a peregrine falcon, and a kestrel. As we were returning to the parking lot, we saw an otter walking on the ice in the pond. It soon went into the water so we did not get a picture, but it was fun to see. We waited awhile to see if the otter would reappear. Just as we were starting to leave it poked it's head above the water just below where we were standing! Even more fun!