Taylor Wetlands

Taylor Wetlands is an unassuming bit of property on the Olympia-Lacy border, a bit south of the I-5 freeway, owned by the City of Olympia. Easily accessible and just off the Olympia Woodland Trail at mile 3 1/2, it has a varied habitat, including swamps, brush, mature trees (Douglas Fir, Cedar and Big Leaf Maple), riparian area and some good sized ponds. Over the past two years several friends and I have recorded 86 species of birds there – nothing unusual but all birds are good in my book. In early March there might be Wood Ducks, Gadwall and other ducks; several types of wren, sparrows and woodpeckers; an assortment of kinglets, creepers, bushtits and chickadees; and a few early warblers and swallows. Kingfishers, Black Birds, Great Blue Heron and Red Tailed Hawks are also a good bet. Lots of these nest there or nearby, and I especially like to look for nests and breeding activity, as I keep watch over the course of the year.

The path is a bit less than a mile, and we should easily cover it in two hours or less. We will meet at the far north-east corner of the Home Depot parking lot at 1325 Fones Road, SE, Olympia WA. There may be an inch or more water and mud on the path, and although the city has done a lot of work on the blackberries, I would suggest sturdy pants and waterproof boots.