I once again made use of my season pass to the Ridgefield NWR to and from a trip to Vancouver, WA. The refuge was pretty quiet as many of the summer residents have departed and the winter residents have yet to arrive.
Thursday, 9-6-18
This lone great blue heron is in a dried out, low lying area that will be part of a pond or marsh come winter.
After I departed the check-in station, some great egrets north of the long, straight section of two-way road attracted my attention.
I also noticed some gray birds near the egrets. Examination of my photos later that night showed they were sandhill cranes. I heard that they had arrived early this year. Although sandhills are not uncommon to the PNW, these were "lifers" for me.
A pied-billed grebe was swimming in the waterway beside the road.
Thursday, 9-6-18
This lone great blue heron is in a dried out, low lying area that will be part of a pond or marsh come winter.
After I departed the check-in station, some great egrets north of the long, straight section of two-way road attracted my attention.
I also noticed some gray birds near the egrets. Examination of my photos later that night showed they were sandhill cranes. I heard that they had arrived early this year. Although sandhills are not uncommon to the PNW, these were "lifers" for me.
A pied-billed grebe was swimming in the waterway beside the road.
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