It has been seven years since the last time I accidentally stumbled upon a bird refuge. In 2012 while traveling the lonely roads of New Mexico in the days before Thanksgiving, I found the Bosque del Apache national wildlife refuge.
I remember sitting in a bird box blind being fascinated with the peace and tranquility that came from such solitude. So when I stumbled, once again, upon the Nisqually Bird Refuge at the Southern end of Washington States Puget Sound, the calling came for me to go here as well.
Weathered white wood covers large barns, and pulls me in. I am one of the first people here due to my nature of rising early in the morning. The quiet has even the birds still nesting, literally.
I walk the dirt roads to and fro until I find the boardwalk that eventually takes one out to where the river meets the sea. The tide is coming in slowly, yet it is perceptible to me as I walk with a snails pace to enjoy the scenery all around. Storks are out for their first meal, finding small fish trapped by the outgoing tide. Eagles hunt above, bringing their kill to young hatchlings chirping in nests among the high trees.
I watch the clouds roll overhead on a picture perfect morning in the Pacific Northwest. I lose all track of time, using only the sun as a dial to tell me when I should leave to catch a flight home.
