More fun at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Each of my past three trips to do presentations in Portland I have used as a means to stop in at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, west of the Battle Ground area in the community of (surprise) Ridgefield, Washington. Yesterday as I headed south to get ready for my evening presentation to The Mazamas club in Portland yet again I took the detour off the freeway. Each time there, things start off with "well, looks like I'm not seeing much here. Oh well....". Each time there, how wrong I am and end up spending a long time there photographing different birds and other things than any previous visit!

This trip I thought it would be pouring, but rains stopped just south of Kelso and I proceeded in to the refuge. The wind was blowing very hard and I figured that was the reason I'd see virtually nothing. The first marsh I went by where I photographed my first ever seen Great Egret last year? Not even a duck in the howling winds and almost white-caps! I kept going and then about 1/2 way around the long loop, things changed dramatically. I was pleased to photograph a Western Painted Turtle enjoying a sun break on a log, even sitting there with a freshly fallen yellow leaf on its back - fun! Right after that the fun really began as I notice far off through the trees in a field a flock of 75-80 Sandhill Cranes feeding and coming in for landings. What a joy it was to watch them for the next 30 minutes as they fuel up for their journey south! Once I was out in the open ponds and prairie lands I was entertained for well more than an hour with numerous female Northern Harriers seemingly having a soaring party in the warm winds. Sometimes they would be gliding...and not moving as they just paused in mid-air against the wind. Very enjoyable!

And of course, the throngs of Great Blue Herons

are assured here every visit and each time I have returned with very different heron photos than previous visits. I'm already eager to stop in again at yet another month of the year - I'm 3-for-3 with different months, different experiences!

Sunset at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Having to recently travel to Portland this week for my presentation and book promo work I used the day getting to Portland to my advantage. It was mostly sunny and I got down near Battleground, WA by mid afternoon and went to check the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. There are miles of hiking trails in the north unit but today, feeling like a bad cold was barreling at me out of control, I opted to enjoy the long auto-tour in the south unit. It is a grand big long winding loop on good gravel roads where you are to remain in your vehicles. This is key…as the wildlife is used to cars slowly passing through but no threatening people walking about! Your car? It becomes your photography blind! It was a joy to photograph Great Blue Herons, hundreds of Tundra Swans, dozens of Northern Pintails, and a mix of Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Canada Geese, Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, and much more. Oh, and the nutria and river otters were cute as well! Get out there and find the wealth of great areas our NWR system has to offer us to enjoy locally. Don’t forget about the gems of NWR’s in Eastern Washington either, like Turnbull and McNary National Wildlife Refuges. (photos: Great Blue Heron; sunset with feeding Northern Pintails; Great Blue Heron; various Tundra Swans)