William L.Finley National Wildlife Refuge

Today we drove up to the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge.  It's just gorgeous out there.  It's one of the few remaining wet prairies.  From the website we learn:

• William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge was created to provide vital wintering habitat for dusky Canada geese. Unlike other Canada geese, duskies have limited summer and winter ranges. They nest on Alaska's Copper River Delta, and winter almost exclusively in the Willamette Valley.

• Habitat loss, predation, and hunting have caused a decrease in population. Located in the Willamette Valley, the refuge protects many of the valley's historic habitats, including the largest remaining tract of native Willamette Valley wet prairie. Fields of wildlife food crops are interspersed with Oregon white oak savannah, meandering creeks with bottomland Oregon ash forest, old growth big-leaf maple, and native prairie.

This is  a boardwalk through a wet part of the refuge.  Check the moss hanging on the trees. 

This is the scene from one of the viewing stations.  Not too much wildlife was seen.  There are deer and elk in the area.

This is  another part of the boardwalk, it is quite the structure.

We did see a Great Blue Heron....

...and the perfect barn.

It's quiet out there.  We really enjoyed walking around, reading the signs and enjoying the day.  We learned that geese do not like to graze in tall grass.  So the local farmers plant rye grass for the returning geese.  They time it so the grass is at an optimal height for the birds upon their arrival.  The geese keep it trimmed to their liking.