Theler Wetlands

The Theler Wetlands and center was left by the legacy of Sam and Mary Theler - as they also endowed Hood Canal Masonic Lodge No. 288, the Belfair Community Baptist Church, Twin Firs Cemetery, and Belfair Elementary School - before it turned into a preserve.  Also seen as an educational area for students, this place has become one of the best places to come for hikes and casual walks in nature, at no expense.  The 70-acre property, now owned by the North Mason School District, is no longer supported by the trust Sam Theler created.  As of August 2018, there are apparently negotiations with Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, which owns property abutting the Wetlands, to transfer ownership to the State.

In any event, Faye McAdams Hands and John Riegsecker lead a 3-mile birding walk there every 2^nd and 4^th Thursday, sponsored by the Tacoma Audubon.  Last week being the Thanksgiving holiday, today was chosen as an alternate date.  I got a late start, and arrived about 15 minutes after they’d begun, and missed seeing a Townsend’s Warbler and a Hutton’s Vireo…  Ah, well

Theler Birders

The fog had settled into the Union River estuary this morning, so we had foreshortened views from the estuary boardwalk, and along the river dike until about 11 a.m. 

This adult bald eagle was backlit, and nearly lost in the mist.

 

Northern Harrier

As was this Northern Harrier above, and the robins and blackbirds below

 

Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds

Bird walks aren’t just about birds, as most of the birders I know want to know about the mammals, fish, 'bugs' and plants they come across.

Fly Amanita

This Fly Amanita (A. muscaria) was still fruiting.  Margaret McKenny wrote: “This is the mushroom so often pictured in European fairy tales.  It is called ‘fly amanita’ because it is thought a decoction made from it kills flies. It is definitely dangerous but fortunately it is quite easy to recognize; the bright red, orange or yellow cap with its white warts is in itself a conspicuous warning for even the most unwary collector.”

We were able to see a fair number of birds as we went along, but missed out on some of the distant views across the river.  As we reached the ‘upstream’ part of the trail, the 13.09-foot high tide had flooded the path, so we opted to take the spur trail over to the Salmon Center, and looped back to where we left the Roessel Road.  Since the fog was lifting, we did return to the ‘first’ bridge along the dike trail and were surprised to see a late Osprey, which, you'd think, would be happily catching its lunch in Mexico by now...  It successfully caught a small fish in the tide plain and carried it back across the river.

Late November Osprey

After the walk, I went up the short trail to Alder (?) Creek.

 

Alder Creek in the Autumn

There had obviously been a successful spawn of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), as these carcasses attest.  As the spent bodies decompose, they provide nutrients for the next generation of salmon, as well as to the other animals and plants along the stream side.

 

Spawned-out Chum Salmon

Another great morning of birding with a great group of birders!  My eBird checklist for the walk is here