Category: Theler Wetlands

It’s been quite a while since we managed to get out to Theler Wetlands, so I wanted to see what was there before we left for another trip to California and Arizona.  If this visit was typical of the last few weeks, we haven’t missed too much.

You know it’s a slow day when I stop to get a shot of a male Mallard, even though I’m always a little surprised how beautiful they are when you really look at them.  That iridescent head is a real knockout. I’m not sure familiarity breeds contempt, but it certainly seems to breed indifference. 

We also saw several pairs of Green-winged Teal feeding along the opposite side of the Union River.

Although there were still some small flocks of Canada Geese, most seemed to have paired off and were loudly claiming their territory when they weren’t feeding.

Luckily, Leslie saved the day, at least photographically, when she spotted our favorite Marsh Wren loudly proclaiming that we were intruding on his kingdom.  

Marsh Wrens are definitely a favorite, and I really liked this shot. 

As the saying goes, “All we need is one good bird.”  And we got it.

Theler Wetlands in Belfair continues to be my go-to spot for birding, even if we haven’t gotten there as much as usual and the birding hasn’t been particularly notable, which would explain why I forgot to download these shots taken there recently. I’ve already posted pictures of all these birds repeatedly and none of these shots particularly stand out.

Luckily, having seen a bird in the past doesn’t rob me of the pleasure of seeing them again, especially when it’s the first time I’ve seen them this year.  And this is the first Cedar Waxwing I’ve seen this year, even if it did take some Photoshop magic to reveal its beautiful colors.

By this time of year, I’ve usually seen hundreds of Tree Swallows, including the ones that have nested in my house in recent years, but this is the first one I’ve captured a shot of this year.  

I’ll have to admit that I’ve been a little concerned that I haven’t seen all the Tree Swallows hanging out on the boardwalk that used to make Spring walks there so delightful.

Luckily, there are many Song Sparrows around, so many that I don’t usually try to take their picture, but I’d never seen one resting on a post like this, so I felt compelled to take its picture.

The highlight of this visit, though, was the rediscovery of the feisty Marsh Wren whose last year’s nests were all destroyed by high tides.   

Though there didn’t seem to be as many birds as usual, it was still delightful to greet ones we haven’t seen for a while.

With the weather still refusing to cooperate, we have been going to the YMCA regularly instead of birding, and there’s not much to photograph at the Y.  I think we’ve only gotten to Theler twice in the past month, and we heard a lot more birds than we saw because the ducks are gone and the songbirds, like this House Finch, have taken up residence.

The highlight of a recent visit was seeing a Bald Eagle attacking and killing a Great Blue Heron by holding it underwater until it drowned. I’ve seen a lot of Bald Eagles harass Great Blue Herons and steal their catch, but this was the first time I’ve ever seen an Eagle actually kill one.

The event took another turn when two other Bald Eagles came swooping in and attempted to steal the first Eagle’s catch, but he was having none of it.

It was a dramatic moment in our visit, but I have to admit that I preferred the moment when this little Bewick Wren confronted us.

This Robin wasn’t quite as bold but definitely let us know it was there, too.

I wasn’t surprised when the seabirds I see in the winter at the Port Orchard Marina were gone and the only shot I got was this one of a Gull eating a small fish.

I feel like I have to force myself to walk a mile and a half on the track at the YMCA, but I usually walk over three miles when I bird and it never feels like I’m exercising.  Instead, it becomes a walking meditation, an escape from the crazy world we all seem trapped in.

Luckily, Leslie and I get out much more often than my blog would indicate.  Sometimes it’s so cloudy or the birds I get pictures of are ones I’ve shown so often that I can’t get inspired to spend the time deciding which to post or the time to refine them.  Even with more rain than usual, we generally manage to get out to Theler Wetlands in Belfair and the Port Townsend Marina once a week.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, sunny days quite often start with heavy fog, and, unfortunately, early morning is the best time to see birds.  Here’s what Theler Wetlands looked like on a recent morning. 

Under these conditions, you’re lucky to see any birds, and when you do it’s hard to recognize what you’re seeing unless you’ve learned to identify birds from their profile, like this female Bufflehead that floated out of the sky to give us a look.

A small consolation is that you can often get closer to birds than you would ever get on a bright, sunny day.  This Mourning Dove was so close and so unconcerned that I had a hard time fitting it in the frame.

When it’s foggy I have to look harder to find something to photograph. On a recent trip it was this Hair Ice, also known as Frost Beard, which we have probably overlooked for several years but became fascinated with once we really looked at it. It looks so bright because the sun had begun to break through, and, more importantly, it was close enough that the fog didn’t interfere with the light.

Leslie spotted it again in several places after we read up on it, but it seems to have totally disappeared on yesterday’s visit.

Fog or no fog, any winter day here in the Pacific Northwest without rain is a good day.  And heck, if you’re willing to wait an hour or so, the fog might finally clear and you’ll be able to see birds you missed on the first half of the walk.