For day 2 of my “Wildlife Week” vacation I returned to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. This marked my fourth visit to this refuge which is just under 30 minutes from Salem (2014) (2021) (2022). For this visit I parked at the Eagle Marsh Trailhead and hiked a total of 10.5-miles visiting Eagle, Teal, Willow, Mallard, Egret, Pintail and Killdeer Marshes as well as Mohoff, Wood Duck, Dunlin and South Ponds.
The route included two short road walks along Buena Vista and Wintel Roads.
My “sunrise” start was once again under a canopy of clouds making pictures of the numerous ducks and other birds difficult during the lollipop loop past Eagle Marsh and around Teal and Willow Marshes.
Ring-necked ducks
Much of the area, and most trails, are closed between October 1st and April 1st each year.
Ring-necked ducks and a very out of focus pied billed grebe.
Willow Marsh
Northern filckers
Geese
Teal Marsh
Pied billed grebe
Common yellowthroat
Pair of bald eagles in the snag.
One of the eagles.
I believe this is a greater yellowlegs.
Bufflehead
Green-winged teals
Killdeer
Leaving Eagle Marsh. Even over an hour after sunrise there wasn’t much light.
A 0.2-mile walk to the SW along Buena Vista Road brought me to the start of the dike trails at Mohoff Pond and Mallard Marsh. I took the dike between the two and followed it to a 4-way junction between Mohoff Pond, Mallard Marsh, Egret Marsh, and Pintail Marsh.
Robin
The mudflats at Mallard Marsh were busy.
Green-winged teals and several species of shore birds. I think the darker, larger birds are short billed dowitchers, the smallest are sandpipers and there is one with a black mark on its underside which may be a dunlin.
Better look at the short billed dowitchers.
A little better look at what I think might be dunlins.
I see you.
This American bittern saw me way before I saw it. It had flown up earlier and landed in the vegetation and even though I watched where it landed, I couldn’t make it out until it took flight again.
Savanah sparrow that appears as annoyed with the bugs as I was.
Not a great photo but there is a northern pintail lower right.
A sandpiper, my guess is a least sandpiper.
American wigeons. Another not great shot but they were all sticking close to the far shore of Mallard Marsh.
Mallards hanging out at Mallard Marsh.
Nearing the 4-way junction.
At the junction I went straight passing between Egret and Pintail Marshes. This was the first time I’d taken this route.
Northern shoveler
I made my way to the Pintail Marsh Trailhead and then road walked another 0.3-miles east along Wintel Road to a small pullout along the Prairie Extension Trail.
Pintail Marsh from the trailhead along Wintel Road.
Cinamon Teal
I veered right on the Prairie Extension’s grassy tract.
Camas
Hawk
Song sparrow
Spotted towhee
Common vetch
After two tenths of a mile on the Prairie Extension I noticed a hiker symbol marking the Woodland Loop Trail on the right.
While this trail has theoretically been there on my previous visits it hasn’t always been obvious or passable. Storm damage and Spring flooding had kept me off this trail until today. The third of a mile trail passes through a dense and damp woodland before returning to the grassy track near the end of the Rail Trail boardwalk.
Avens
Western meadowrue
Obstacle
Newer looking bridge.
Older bridge.
End of the Woodland Loop.
The boardwalk to the left.
I turned right and hiked around Dunlin and Killdeer Ponds then made my way back to the Rail Trail boardwalk. There was some commotion at the SW corner of Dunlin Pond caused by several bald eagles having a heated conversation.
The one trying to land was apparently not invited to the party.
There are 3 immature and 2 adult eagles in the trees. Then there was the juvenile that wasn’t welcome and possibly another juvenile that had been flying around. I was having a hard time keeping track of just how many there were.
After tearing my focus away from the eagle meeting, I watched a northern harrier hunt in the field opposite of Dunlin Pond.
Grey ghost
Dunlin Pond
These may be the two juveniles that were not allowed at the meeting.
A nearly dry South Pond on the right after having looped around Killdeer Marsh.
The start of the boardwalk.
I didn’t see much of anything along the boardwalk (which is typical) until near the end when things picked up near Wood Duck Pond.
Dove
Song sparrow
Wood ducks
Mallard
Swallow
Cinnamon teal
I turned right at the end of the boardwalk and took the Prairie Extension back to Witnel Road and then hiked back to the Pintail Marsh Trailhead.
Woodpecker
Pintail Marsh (all the black specs are insects)
I went left along the marsh and stayed left at junctions to pass Mohoff Pond and make my way back to Buena Vista Road.
Female red-winged blackbird
Male red-winged blackbird
American coot
The highly invasive American bullfrog.
A good look at the size difference between a Canada goose (left) and cackling geese.
Sunning snake
Canada goose
I walked the road back to Eagle Marsh where a great blue heron was hanging out next to the overlook.
The heron’s head between the interpretive signs.
Ankeny has never disappointed. I always see a lot of wildlife, but getting good pictures without a professional camera and telephoto lens is difficult given the size of the ponds and how easy it is for the birds to put a good deal of distance between people and themselves. In addition to the wildlife included in the post I also saw an osprey, a coyote (just before pulling into the parking area), a scrub jay, and numerous small birds that would not cooperate for photos. All in all, it was a great addition to Wildlife Week. Happy Trails!
Flicker Album: Ankeny 2025
wanderingyuncks 