Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

April 1, 2012

After a Saturday at Pack Forest and Mt. Rainier, we spent a Sunday at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge before heading home. The weather was windy but absolutely beautiful with sun. We started our hike on the boardwalk that took us past snowberries, songs sparrows, canadian geese, and even a great horned owl. The common species covering the ground were cattails, salmon berry, and sword ferns among others. We often heard chickadees along the way. I walked out near the waters with a classmate and discovered flocks of canadian geese, wood ducks, mallards, and many we couldn't identify due to distance. We found a gardner snake and a small green frog. Later, we saw a pair of bald eagles far in the distance with binoculars and a great blue heron. There were also hawks in the distance as well. On the way back to the visitor center, we watched a flock of buffalo head ducks and hooded mergansers. There was also a painted turtle sunbathing on a log. The area spewed with different species and in a way, it was better than going to the zoo.

Species List:
Canada Goose
Snowberries
Chickadees
Songs Sparrows
Catails
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl (2)
Frog
Gardner Snake
Buffalo head ducks
Hooded morgansers
Sword fern
Alder berry
Salmon berry
Cleavers
Northern Shovelers
Northern pintail
American widgeon
Bald eagle (2)
Western painted turtle
Hawks

Posted on May 1, 2012 05:32 PM by lhuynh10 lhuynh10

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 11:20 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 10:58 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 11:39 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 12:14 PM PDT

Description

A classmate found this salamander stuck to a couple rubbles on the ground at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. We couldn't figure out how long it has been dead although probably died of dehydration.

Photos / Sounds

What

Willows (Genus Salix)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 01:12 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 12:36 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Observer

lhuynh10

Date

April 1, 2012 01:16 PM PDT

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