Some Days it Clicks (Day trip to Ridgefield NWR)
I decided to make a run down to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge today, just to see what was going on down there now that we’re well into spring. The winter birds (Geese and Swans) are gone, so I really wasn’t sure how productive this would be, but I was hopeful, since there were some interesting birds being seen there. This is a long day trip (350 miles round trip).
By the time I’d finished the auto tour (about 2 hours for the loop) my day’s listing included 48 species, including some real nice birds: Yellow-headed Blackbird, American Bittern (flying in front of me across the road), Sora’s bellowing in multiple places, yellow warblers, four different swallows (including purple martin) and a host of others.
There were still some winter hangovers; not a lot of ducks, but I found seven species, including Ring-necked, Wood (yay!) and to my amazement, a blue-winged teal hanging out in a group of cinnamon. Also got very nice audio of 2-3 Sandhill Cranes flying behind a stand of trees, so they’re not 100% gone.
I ended up tagging 16 year birds onto my year list, with 7 species getting added to my Washington state list. No lifers, but you can’t get everything.
And 400+ photos, and out of that 32 keepers, which for me is a really high rate for a single day trip.. One species new to my library — the Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and it’s nice to finally add them to my library. Oh, and as you’ll see from some of the photos, it was raining on and off, including one ten minute massive cloudburst where I just had to roll up the windows and wait it out.
All in all, a long day, but the kind of day that reminds me why I love being a birder. Some days it all just clicks.
