Journal Entry #2 - April 1, 2012
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge – Olympia, WA
Weather: cold, raining off and on, considerable cloud clover.
Upon arriving at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, we had a brief presentation on the history of the area and learned of the different land uses the refuge has undergone. The area was converted from wetland to agricultural area, and was slated for the possible site for waste disposal. This refuge was so beautiful and abundant in birds and waterfowl, and it would have been a tragedy if waste disposal as the primary land use was implemented. Luckily, this area is in the process of restoring the wetland habitat for migratory bird populations. When we exited the community center, we took the Loop Trail and observed wetland areas dominated by the salmonberry along riparian zones. There were also a variety of bird and waterfowl species present and we observed Canadian geese, Red-tailed hawk, Great blue heron, robin, and owl species throughout the trail along the boardwalk. When we reached the end of the Loop Trail, some of us branched out and headed towards the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. To reach this trail, we had to walk past the Twin Barns and along much of what was used for agricultural land post-colonial times. Along the banks of the trail, there was Common cattail in abundance and this provided optimal area for the American bittern to forage in. I almost missed this bird as he blended in so well with the straw-colored cattails. He was definitely my favorite observation, as he had a creepy gate and moved in a very striking way. He also had bright green feet which contrasted nicely with his golden, straw colored feathers – optimal camouflage for this habitat. Also, something to note was the occurrence of very few trees throughout much of this area and we came to the conclusion, these trees were probably placed to provide shade for grazing livestock when agriculture was the primary land use. As we walked further along this trail, wetland area began to dominate and the abundance of waterfowl was amazing. There were several species of ducks, geese, herons, and many others. I noted that most of the males were much more striking than females and for important reasons – predation and reproductive purposes. Upon arriving at the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail, we observed juvenile eagles and it was apparent that the other birds were nervous and were vigilant in response to this. Upon walking back to the community center, we walked along a boardwalk trail which faced the Twin Barns. I noticed some interesting colonizers on the nurse logs in this wetland area, and these trees appeared to be very alive in spite of their downed state. Salmonberry and willows were noted throughout this area and also a few waterfowl species: mergansers and ducks. The male merganser was particularly striking with his Mohawk-styled feathers and beautiful colors – which indicated it was mating season. This area was very beautiful and seemed to be thriving. The abundance of birds was amazing and it was obvious that this area is home to many different bird populations.
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