April 1st Nisqually Estuary

April 1st Nisqually Estuary. Sea Level
11:00 AM
Weather: Cloudy. Strong guests of wind from North.
Habitat: Grassy Marsh land. Further from Sound we find more treas, as we move towarss the sea it turns to grasses. Several creeks flowing towards tidal flats.
As we return to sea level we are once again confronted with an abundance of Himalayan Black Berries. Sword ferns are still present but less so then at pack forest. Great deal of birds in the area. Of note were owls and hawks which could be seen in the medium height branches. 2-3 Eagles were also observed circling the area and landing in trees to the south west. Several types of water fowl could be seen such as mallards which would eat by dipping their heads in the water and swimming in circles, as well as Canadian Geese which tended to be seen on the banks near the water in areas that also featured ducks. Finches and robins as well as other unidentified birds were also observed moving quickly between trees. Nearer to the edge were an abundance of young big leaf maples, cat tails, and the occasional painted turtle.
Species List:
Salix
Acer macrophyllum
Typha latifolia
Branta Canadensis
Bubo virginianus
Buteo jamaicensis
Chrysemys picta bellii
Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Posted on June 5, 2012 03:23 PM by austinuw