One of my junior adventurers is recovering from knee surgery so we needed a mostly accessible adventure. The Twin Barns Loop Trail was absolutely perfect. All boardwalk with plenty of birds to at along the way. We saw mallards, buffleheads, herons, bald eagles, seagulls, and a great horned owl. Bonus: Kids got their Junior Wildlife Refuge Manager badges. (The program is just like the Junior Ranger program in National Parks.) I wish we'd had more time and a little more distance in the recovering knee to get out onto the estuary boardwalk. We'll be back for sure.

We had read that the Northern Saw Whet Owl was back and roosting in the same tree as before, so we came hoping to see it. The tree is located on the  South side of the entrance road in the first parking lot and is marked with a yellow ribbon to keep viewers from getting too close and to protect the area from damage. The owl was there tucked away in the tree branches and facing south so we only saw its back. So very cute! We walked the Twin Barns Loop with a side trip to the observation deck near the twin barns. There was not a lot of bird activity. Wood ducks, mallards, the Great-Horned Owl sitting on its nest, a hooded merganser pair, common mergansers and Canadian Geese were seen. Indian plum was blooming!

Last Friday marked the first team hike of 2018 for the Youth Team! One of the many benefits of working for a hiking non-profit, is being able to take some time away from the office to discuss different programs and to spend time with co-workers while surrounded by nature.

As a team we spent the day strolling around Nisqually National Wildlife Area. It’s a nice area to stop if you like taking driving breaks along I5, but what really draws on goers to the area is the abundance of birds.

We set out from the parking lot around 11:30 am with our binoculars in hand, hoping to spot some interesting creatures. As we made our way on the Estuary Boardwalk Trail, we stop to appreciate some of the different birds along the way. Including: mallards, bulkheads, two herons and a group of red winged blackbirds. Our walk led us all the way to the end of the pier which provided a neat view of the landscape in its waterless state. 

The Nisqually Wildlife Area is a great place to watch the birds and provides well maintained walking paths. Next time I am traveling from Seattle to Vancouver, I am definitely going to break the drive up by stopping here.

A gorgeous day at Nisqually! Unlike the Seattle area, there was no rain and the sky was blue with some interesting clouds. Wind was at a minimum and I was quite comfortable on the hike.

The boardwalk to the east of the visitor center was a bit slippery. Since it was in the tree area, the sun hadn't melted the bits of ice, plus old, wet leaves made me step cautiously.

Along that boardwalk, I saw two deer (I think they were black-tailed) and a river otter. I also got to see a great horned owl nesting up in a tree hallow (she nested later than usual and the eggs won't be hatching until around mid-March).

The boardwalk that goes out over the mud flats were bone dry, so hiking that part was easy. Along it, I saw Canada geese, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, Black Scotes, some Ringneck Ducks, one Great Blue Heron and lots of gulls. There were some tiny birds that were too far out for me to identify (this was during low tide).

Back at the parking lot, I saw a pair of Spotted Towhees...such a cute, little bird.

Took advantage of the holiday and nice weather to get in a short walk at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Saw a pair of bald eagles and severla herons but no owls today. Wind was a little a chilly but the sun felt good. Good views of the Olympics and even Mt. Rainier was mostly visible as well.