The River "S" Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has a 4.2 mile auto tour route and 1.5 mile seasonal hiking trail. The auto tour is an excellent way to see the Refuge. A pair of binoculars is a must and a camera makes it even more fun !!!
The day was overcast and cold with the occasional snow flake falling !!! ... yes, in April in the Pacific Northwest. Huge Spring storm fronts passing over.
This trip includes ...
Sora ... Red-winged Blackbird ... Yellow-headed Blackbird ... Brown-headed Cowbird ... Song Sparrow ... Bewick's Wren ... Red-tailed Hawk ... Great Egret ... Cackling Geese ... Ross x Snow Goose Cross (???) ... Greater White-fronted Goose ... Storm ...
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Sora.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Sora.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Red-winged Blackbird, female (left) and male (right).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Red-winged Blackbird, female.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Yellow-headed Blackbird, male.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Brown-headed Cowbird, female.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Song Sparrow.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Bewick's Wren.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Red-tailed Hawks.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Great Egret.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Cackling Geese.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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The majority of the folks at the Refuge called this bird a "Ross's Goose" ... however, one person on the "board" called it a Ross x Snow Goose cross ... to me, head-wise it looks like a Snow without the "grin" (shape of head, sloping forehead, big bill) ... but size-wise it looks like a Ross ... the Cacklers it was with weren't the smallest Cacklers I've seen, but they weren't the largest either, and the few Greater White-fronted Geese which were with it were larger than this white bird. ... For images of Snow Geese check out my Snow Goose page.
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Ross x Snow Goose cross (???).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Ross/Snow Goose (left) and Greater White-fronted Goose and Ross/Snow Goose (right).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Ross/Snow Goose in flock of Cackling Geese.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Ross x Snow Goose cross (???).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Greater White-fronted Goose.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Greater White-fronted Geese.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Greater White-fronted Goose.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Storm passing through.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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Storm passing through.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 20, 2008.
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