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 !!!
Beautiful sunny windy morning. The "highlights" include a BEAUTIFUL Belted Kingfisher female !!!!!!!!!!!! ... and two one-legged Ring-billed Gulls.
This trip includes ...
Belted Kingfisher ... Red-winged Blackbird ... Northern Harrier ... Great Blue Heron ... American Crow ... Turkey Vulture ... Ring-billed Gull ... Blacktail Deer ... Cattail ...
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Belted Kingfisher, female.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Belted Kingfisher, female, returning to branch after catching breakfast (left image) and eating breakfast (right image).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Belted Kingfisher, female.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Red-winged Blackbird, male.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Red-winged Blackbird, female.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Northern Harrier.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Great Blue Heron.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Great Blue Heron, "portrait".
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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American Crow.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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American Crow.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Turkey Vulture.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Ring-billed Gull, juvenile, over Rest Lake.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Ring-billed Gull, adult.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Ring-billed Gull, adult.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Ring-billed Gull, adult, on Rest Lake.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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On July 31, 2007, very few Ring-billed Gulls were at Rest Lake (3 or 4 only) ... out of the three individual Ring-billed Gulls photographed, two had missing legs. The juvenile (below and see juvenile above) was missing his/her left leg, and the adult (see vertical shot above) was missing his/her right leg. The second adult image (again, see above) appears to have two legs. What are the odds !!!!!!!!!
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Ring-billed Gull, juvenile, with only one leg.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Blacktail Deer, doe and fawn (left image), and fawn (right image).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Blacktail Deer, doe (left image), and doe and fawn (right image).
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Cattail flowers.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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Cattail flowers, closeup.
The brown is tightly packed female flowers topped by a yellow male spike.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, July 31, 2007.
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... August 11
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... MORE ...
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July 29 ...
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