Our paddle on Swofford Pond this last weekend started out with clouds and a light rain, followed by sunshine. The colors were muted and soft. It was a very quiet place except when we would startle a pair of mallards or a bunch of Canadian geese.
Tacoma Power and the state put a great amount of effort into assisting a healthy wildlife habitat here. Some of the sensitive animal species protected in this area are bald eagle, great blue heron, pileated woodpecker and osprey. Sensitive plant species such as fringed pinesap and small-flowered trillium are protected here as well.
Bald eagles and osprey nest in trees along the shoreline, and wood ducks nest in wooden boxes attached to shoreline trees. Barn owls, loons, and red tail hawk are also common near the lake. We watched hawks dive into the water, and I was able to film a muskrat swimming away from us. My photos here just couldn't capture how exquisite this lake is - it was through my video that we were really able to capture the sounds and magic of this lake.
It was a perfect glide - about an hour and a half. I could have enjoyed a second trip around the lake, but we decided instead to take a circuitous trip home. We drove on backroads through farming country, rather than use the freeway. A few tulip fields were in bloom - streaks of red, and we stopped to investigate a skunk cabbage swamp. The variety of plant species there all had pungent odors. I took a few photos, below...
