It’s supposed to be rainy most of the week here in the Pacific Northwest, so I decided that Tuesday was my best chance to walk around the 5-mile loop at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in the next few weeks since we’re going to California next week.

As it turned out, it was more cloudy than sunny, and we even got rained on a little at the end of the walk. Despite the fact that it was generally a gray, overcast day, I enjoyed the long walk, the opportunity to see some ducks I haven’t seen for awhile, and some good company.

Even as gray day in a wild area has its charm, as shown by this Ring-Necked Duck

I also saw a remarkable number of Pintail Ducks,

one of the most elegant ducks I’ve seen, though I’m sure that says more about my taste than about the duck itself.

I think I also sighted a Canvasback duck for the first time, but it was so far away and it was so dark that the picture was too poor to really confirm the sighting.