This was a beautiful place to stop for a short leg stretcher on our way up I 5. This is a wildlife delta reclaimed from farmland and is now full of birds of many feathers and a great place for some amateur birding. As we first got there we talked to a volunteer braving the cold to show visitors some of the unseen sights and we were treated to a saw whet owl asleep on a ceder branch. The trail consists of a gravel path thru some marshy areas and a boardwalk that heads a mile or so out over the tidal flats. There is lots of signage along the way, well worth a stop, so you know what to look for. Right off we saw a northern harrier and 3 eagles on the lookout for a duck dinner. They had plenty of choices, buffleheads, mallards, gadwells, northern shovelers, pintails and cinnamon teals(I think). Herons, a yellowleg and ravens hunted in the mud. We also heard gunshots and the last 700' of the trail was closed due to hunting nearby. A duck dinner may be had by more than eagles. We saw lots of Birders, with a capital B,spotting scopes and long lens cameras in hand, a few like us just out for a New Years eve walk too. Bundle up, the wind sweeping off the water is cold!  This is a federal wildlife sanctuary, you will need the golden geezer pass or pay a couple of bucks for entry, I think 5$ or under. Easy to find, Nisqually exit, follow the brown signs.

Walked the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge trails and boardwalk Sunday morning in the sunshine.  The only trail issue is the seasonal closure of the last hundred yards of the boardwalk due to duck hunting in the area - you don't miss much, certainly not a reason to avoid the walk.

Many winter birds are out including NINE bald eagles in the crags north of the reserve, (thank you to the kind young lady that let me see them through her big spotting scope!)  This is also the only place that I am aware of that has herons tame enough not to fly off as soon as they see you - this morning did not disappoint with three individuals standing right next to the trail.  One final highlight was catching a glimps of what I believe was a sea lion thrashing around trying to catch something way up in the Nisqually River.

One quick reminder - there is a $3 per car access fee and no dogs are allowed in the refuge.

Hiked the boardwalk around noon today. The trail near the information center has quite a bit of compact snow and can be slippery in places. However, the snow on the boardwalk has mostly melted. The wind was very cold, so be sure to go prepared. As far as wildlife, I saw a lot of Bufflehead ducks, Herons, and what looked to be a few Sea Otters. Remember to bring your binoculars.

We both wanted to get outside while the sun was still shining, so we decided to go to the Nisqually Delta.  

We were dressed warmly, but as we got out on the boardwalk above the water, the wind was biting and cold, making the bird watching way less fun. We walked as far as the gate which closes the end of the boardwalk for hunting season, then returned and got warmer once away from the water.

We had our lunch on the picnic tables by the barns and we weren’t cold there at all.

Overall, it was a nice outing and we were glad we went.

A crisp, cold, clear, beautiful day for a stroll around Nisqually. The ponds near the visitor center along the Twin Barns Loop were mostly frozen over, and the wooden walkway was a bit slick from lingering frost. We were treated to several varieties of waterfowl walking along the dike to the Estuary Boardwalk Trail. Also spotted were a few bald eagles, many herons, ripples from what we suspect was a seal, and a salmon. Binoculars are a must!