Category: Special Places

Volunteering at Theler Gardens

Wednesday’s trip to Theler Wetlands in Belfair wasn’t very successful birdingwise, but it was a sunny day and I managed to see enough birds and flowers to make the day entirely enjoyable.

This Common Tern kept flying up and down the creek, making it impossible to ignore him.

Common Tern

For some reason I had better luck getting a picture of an American Goldfinch in a tree than on eating thistles, which is where I usually manage to get a shot.

Goldfinch In Tree

About the only thing that came close to unusual was this bird, which was sitting in the same tree as the goldfinches. At first, I thought he was in the shadows, but then I realized that he was nearly solid black, but not a shiny black like a crow or a blackbird. I’m still not sure what he was, but I think it’s a Slate-Colored Fox Sparrow.

Slate-Colored Fox Sparrow

Needless to say, I spent some time photographing the flowers in the garden, particularly this variety.

Yellow Flower

While I was photographing a man supervising the work in the garden introduced himself and told me the name of the flower, which I promptly forgot. Dr. Masley designed the garden several years ago and continues to help maintain it.

I was surprised to learn that they’ve had very little luck attracting volunteers to work in the garden, depending on two volunteers and local inmates to maintain it. Although it’s a rather long drive for me, and Friday from 9-11 is a less-than-ideal time, I told him I would try to get there two or three times a month to help in the garden, starting tomorrow. Considering how many photos I’ve taken there, I didn’t see how I could do otherwise.

Nisqually River Otter

It definitely seems like the summer doldrums of birding have hit Nisqually. Although there seems to be an increase of the number of Canada Geese, there seems to be “fewer” of everything else.

Although this may be my first photograph of what I think is a Savannah Sparrow,

Savannah Sparrow

and this is one of the few times I’ve ever managed to get any kind of picture of a Yellow Warbler,

Yellow Warbler

I had to look very hard to find any birds to photograph.

Luckily, looking harder than usual probably led me to get my first glimpse of the river otter this year. This adult river otter swam right under a bridge I was crossing.

River Otter swimming

I had to run pretty hard to get a shot of it emerging from the water on the far bank.

River Otter

As it did so, I heard some rather strange noises, which in retrospect must have been the greeting of family members who’d apparently been waiting for mom, or dad, to come home:

Otter Family

I got better birding pictures sitting in my yard today, but I’ve yet to spot an otter in the front yard, or get quite the same sense of elation at seeing a bird.

Mellow Yellow

Theler Wetlands in Belfair isn’t nearly as large as Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and doesn’t offer as wide of a variety of birds, but I find myself spending nearly as much time there as I do at Nisqually, despite the fact that it’s nearly twice as far away.

There are certain species that you’re more apt to get a good picture of at Belfair than at Nisqually, the American Goldfinch being one. There are Goldfinch at Nisqually, but not nearly as many thistles along the trail as Belfair does, and the only time I’ve managed to get anything approaching a close-up of a Goldfinch is when they’re stuffing themselves with thistle seeds, like this guy:

American Goldfinch eating thistle

There are lots of butterflies at both places, but for some reason I’m more apt get pictures at Belfair than Nisqually, though neither place is nearly as good as my own garden, but that would mean staying home.

Tiger Swallowtail on Blackberry blossom

The main advantage Belfair has over Nisqually, though, is the garden maintained by Master Gardeners. Though I’d probably prefer a garden with just native plants, they’ve managed to plant a garden that has flowers from spring to fall that seem to thrive without excessive work. I never go to Belfair without taking two cameras, one for birds and one for flowers:

Lily