Other Birds at Ridgefield NWR

American Bittern

Red-spotted Breakfast

Red-spotted garter snakes are almost too beautiful for words but not too beautiful for breakfast, at least not if you’re a hungry bittern. I came across this bittern after it had captured a red-spotted garter snake early one morning. It mostly stayed in a sheltered area in the reeds where I couldn’t get a good look at it.

I came across the same bittern a little while later, and noticed it had just caught a second garter snake, this one even larger than the first. It killed the snakes by applying pressure with its beak, often to the snake’s head. Even so, it took the snakes a while to die, and the bittern made sure the snake was dead before swallowing it.

Probably a good idea when your breakfast can bite you back.

American bittern eating a bullfrog at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Two Can Play That Game

Bullfrogs aren’t native to the Northwest but they have quickly spread everywhere. They have voracious appetites and aren’t picky eaters, so on top of habitat loss they’ve been making life difficult for some of our native frogs and turtles.

But even for bullfrogs, sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes the prey.

This bittern was hunting with another bittern in a quiet channel when it snared a bullfrog back in the grass. It quickly walked over to the water, dunked the frog briefly underwater, then swallowed it in an instant.

The other bittern stabbed at something on the ground and then started to freak out a bit, getting agitated and wiping its bill along the plant leaves. When I got home and saw the pictures, I understood why: the young bittern had tried to eat a banana slug, which causes your mouth to go numb.

American bittern peeks out from tall grasses at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Drive Slowly, Look Closely

Bitterns are frequently seen close to the auto tour around Rest Lake at the River S Unit, but they are usually not out in the open. I always drive slowly in the area, it’s a favorite location of mine in general, but the bitterns are always a special treat. I found this one on a cold winter’s evening as I was getting ready to leave the refuge.

American bittern vocalizing along the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Trying To Be Heard

I took this picture in May of 2001. The grasses of the marsh around the auto tour were still green, so bitterns were easier to spot than when the grasses turn brown and the bitterns can remain so still and perfectly camoflaged that you can stare right at them and not see them.

This bittern wasn’t trying to be invisible, though, it was trying to be heard. Their unique call resonates across the marsh and I hear a lot more bitterns than I see.

American bittern attempting to remain unseen at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

I'm Invisible!

To be fair, this bittern nearly was invisible. I was driving very slowly past this narrow channel of water and even then I barely noticed the bird standing still in the brown grasses. After looking around a bit, it took some very slow steps into the reeds and was truly out of sight.

Black-capped Chickadee

New Reach

I had never taken that many pictures on the trail at the Carty Unit. Most of the trail winds through a small forest beside wetlands, so most of the birds are small songbirds that were usually too far away for pictures. When I added a 500mm lens to my collection, it brought many of the smaller birds within reach. Birds such as the little black-capped chickadee, seen here on a moss-draped branch on a wet winter day.

Double-crested Cormorant

Cold Confusion

A sudden cold snap froze most of the water at the refuge, leaving this cormorant seemingly a bit confused. I’ve seen cormorants swimming and flying on many occasions but have never see one walk. At first I thought it’s unusual behavior might be an indication that it was sick, but after it walked onto the ice for a while I had a second thought — it was probably struggling to figure out just what this cold surface was doing on top of its nice channel of water, and trying to devise a way to get underneath and go fishing.

Great Egret

Warm Winter

The warmth and softness of the evening light hide the fact that this was taken during a cold snap in the dead of winter — much of the water in the ponds and sloughs of the refuge had frozen over.

Great egret hunting in a meadow in heavy fog at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

In a Fog

Winter mornings are often foggy at Ridgefield. Shooting in fog can be a challenge, but in the right circumstances can make for some lovely images. The fog doesn’t change one simple fact of life: predators like this great egret still need to eat. Hunting in the fog can provide some unique opportunities, such as a coyote I saw that was able to sneak up on and grab a Canada goose or another that took a run at a great blue heron.

Great egret with large earthworm in its mouth at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

The Late Bird Gets The Worm

Along the auto tour, you're as likely to see herons and egrets hunting in the fields as the ponds and marshes. This one was part of a group of egrets hunting late in the day when it caught a snake. At least I thought it was a snake.

When I got home and looked at the pictures, I realized why I was having trouble figuring out what kind of snake it was - it was actually an earthworm, the biggest earthworm I've ever seen. I had no idea they even got this big, but the egret made short work of it.

American Goldfinch

Baby Please Don’t Go

I had been at Ridgefield for hours hoping to get some good pictures of the common yellowthroats that were migrating through but hadn’t been successful. I was getting ready to leave when this male goldfinch and a female flew into the cattails beside the car.

I only had time for a few quick pictures of the male before a territorial red-winged blackbird flew in to chase off the intruders. Happy to get a look at the golfinches that had returned for the spring, I decided to stick around a while longer and was eventually rewarded with some nice looks at a male yellowthroat as well.

A male American goldfinch sits in a patch of teasel at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

I’m Golden

Winter in the Northwest has flashes of orange from year-round residents like robins and towhees and visitors like varied thrushes. Spring brings flashes of yellow from visitors like yellow-headed blackbirds and common yellowthroats, as well as summer residents like the American goldfinch.

We used to get many goldfinches at our feeders when we lived near Salem, but get only the occasional goldfinch in Portland, so it’s always a delight to see them wherever I can find them. I came across this male one spring morning in a patch of teasel along the auto tour.

Alas, teasel isn’t native to the States but was brought over by European settlers. Teasel is a favorite of the European goldfinch, so it’s not surprising that it is also a favorite of their American cousins.

One Happy Goldfinch

This male goldfinch almost seemed happy as it fed on the seeds in the teasel on a spring day in the Northwest. But perhaps I’m projecting and it’s more that I was happy to see them return after being gone all winter.

A male American goldfinch perches in teasel at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Killdeer

Bath Time

A killdeer bathes in some potholes in the parking lot at the River S Unit. After splashing about to make sure the water got to all of its feathers, it popped up and began to preen, sliding its feathers through its bill to remove any remaining dirt or parasites. With the tail splayed out so nicely, you can see the various colors and patterns of each of the large tail feathers.

A bathing killdeer splashes water on its feathers at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A preening killdeer cleans its tail feathers at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Virginia Rail

Rails are elusive birds, and despite many visits to Ridgefield over a handful of years, I had only caught fleeting glimpses of rails on one or two occasions. So I was a bit dumbfounded in the spring of 2005 to not only see a rail, but to see a pair near the road. They were busy hunting at the edge of the marsh and courting each other, so I was able to stay in my car and watch them to my hearts content. I found them in this spot on the next visit as well, but after that they resumed their secretive lifestyle.

A Virginia rail chick at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Everybody’s Having Babies

Spring brings change to Ridgefield, from the arrival of migrating birds to the mating of both new arrivals and old residents. For animals that nest on the refuge, it also brings the arrival of new life and the frenetic energy required to feed those hungry mouths.

On this particular day it seemed like everybody was having babies, including Canada geese, wood ducks, song sparrows, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, muskrats, cottontails, and even long-tailed weasels. One of my favorite youngsters belonged to a pair of Virginia rails that had their brood with them near Ridgefield’s Kiwa Trail. I had never seen rail chicks before and was surprised to see that they were little black fuzzballs. Their little wings are just stubs at this point so they can’t yet fly, instead they followed mom and dad around on their two long legs.

Wilson's Snipe

Showoff

The most famous bird to be named after a volleyball, Wilson’s snipes should not be confused with Wesley’s snipes, which don’t exist.

Look them up in a bird guide and, depending on the age of the book, you may see them listed as common snipe instead of Wilson’s. They had been considered a race of the common snipe of Eurasia but are now considered a separate species.

The birds themselves don’t seem to have noticed the name change.

Sora

A Glimpse

I don’t like the look of the out-of-focus plants in the foreground, but I was still pretty excited to see this sora, as I’ve rarely seen them in my life, much less had a chance to photograph one. And it was on a morning in which I had started to regret getting out of bed before sunrise, as not much had been visible.

But then I came across some cedar waxwings, had a cottontail hop up to me and sniff my boots, and then when I got to the observation blind, had a female ruddy duck to the front, a nestful of baby coots also to the front, an occasional Virginia rail off to the left, and this sora that popped into view for just a second on my right. And then a Wilson’s snipe also came out briefly to forage.

It wasn’t a great situation for pictures but it was fun seeing so many shy creatures busting out all around me.

European Starling

Flock of starlings in a tree at dawn at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Starlings at Dawn

Most birders in the United States dislike starlings because they aren’t native but have spread everywhere, displacing native birds in their wake. Many birders and non-birders alike dislike starlings because they sometimes gather in large, noisy flocks.

I came across this small flock early one morning on the auto tour before the sun lit them up. I went for the silhouette since I had the strong graphical lines of the tree branches and birds.

Varied Thrush

Orange in Winter

Hike the Oaks-to-Wetlands trail at the Carty Unit at any time of the year and you’re likely to see two kinds of orange-feathered birds: American robins and spotted towhees. During the winter, however, we’re blessed with another: the varied thrush.

While towhees are often seen on the ground feeding or in the brush, varied thrushes are usually in the trees like their more famous thrush cousin, the robin. There’s no confusing the two, though, even with a cursory glance. The varied thrush has a dark line running across its face and through its eye. Even young birds (such as the one shown here) have the distinctive eyeline, though it is much more faded in the youngsters.

Cedar Waxwing

Wax Tips

I arrived early one morning in late May at Ridgefield and almost immediately regretted the decision. While the auto tour normally provides a good glimpse of waterfowl and other animals in the marshes, by late May the grass has grown so high that you can’t seen into most of the marshes.

I stopped by the observation blind and figured I might as well take a short look before continuing on, and stopped in my tracks as soon as I got out of the car: a small flock of waxwings was in a berry tree at the edge of the parking area. I witnessed for the first time a mated pair passing a berry back and forth. I had the wrong lens on for pictures, and decided to watch the display rather than try for a picture.

This is one of the birds that was sitting back in the middle of the tree. You can see the waxy yellow tips on the bird’s tail, but not the waxy red tips of the wing that give the bird its name. I may not have gotten any pictures of the berry display, but nevertheless I was thankful I had gotten out of bed that morning after all.

Marsh Wren

Won’t Get Fooled Again?

I noticed a pair of marsh wrens building a nest along the auto tour and stopped for a look. After several unsuccessful attempts to photograph the wrens, I decided I wouldn’t get fooled again and attempt any more pictures of the pair. But the energetic little singers drew me in again and again until I eventually got some nice pictures.

After watching them for many hours, I felt a great deal of both admiration and sympathy for the little wrens. They didn't stay still long so as not to raise the ire of the red-winged blackbirds who had also nested just a few feet away and who mobbed anything and everything at the top of the cattails. They ducked when swallows swooped in until they were sure the flyovers were neither hawks nor blackbirds. While gathering food for the nest, they'd often sit down in the tall grass beside my car until the coast was clear.

But their desire to sing was so irrepressible that even if the blackbirds chased them down into safety below, the wrens didn’t stay down for long but soon popped back up to sing their hearts out.

A marsh wren preens atop a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Psst! Hey Buddy, Wanna Buy A Watch?

Marsh wrens serve a vital role in sloughs across the Pacific Northwest, acting as fences of shoddy or stolen merchandise. Be on your guard should one spot you, as it’s hard to resist their low, low prices!

One nice thing about this view of a preening marsh wren is that you can see the little white arrows that shoot down the dark patch at the top of its back, my favorite aspect of their plumage.

A marsh wren with nesting material plucked from a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Plucky

Early one spring morning I stopped by Rest Lake to watch a struggling ruddy duck. It listed strongly to one side, and often swam in circles, then flipped over and swam on its side. It was able to dive but was clearly working very hard just to move around.

It saddened me to watch the plucky little ruddy, but my mood brightened a little when this little marsh wren popped into view. It had been singing further away in the marsh, occasionally flying over to other parts to sing, and then flew over near me to pluck some of this soft pillowy material from the top of the cattail (which you can see in its bill in the picture).

The little wren then flew back to one of its favorite singing locations, I suppose to add some softness to the lining of its nest.

Marsh wren singing in its winter plumage at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Winter Coat

A singing marsh wren shows off its winter colors on a surprisingly warm winter’s day at the auto tour of the River S Unit.

Common Yellowthroat

Bright As Yellow

I got up at 5am on this morning expecting to photograph yellow-headed blackbirds but ended up with yellow not from blackbirds but yellowthroats and goldfinches.

I watched the yellowthroats off-and-on over the course of about 10 hours, they were mostly staying out of sight and when they did pop up to sing, the little yellow birds were chased away by other yellowthroats or red-winged blackbirds.

The yellowthroats were active around the refuge but it was only towards the end of my stay that I finally got some nice pictures, such as this male in a patch of cattails.

A common yellowthroat perched in a patch of cattails at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Gold Reward

The yellowthroats weren’t staying still for very long, so even if I got a clear view of one I had to move quickly. This male flew into the middle of the cattails, not up so high as to draw the ire of the blackbirds, but only stayed for a few seconds. His eye was obscured by the cattail in front nearly the entire time, but he stuck his head out far enough for me to get one picture before he flew off.

A common yellowthroat hidden by grass at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Friend or Foe?

This male yellowthroat had flown down near the ground and was mostly obscured by my old nemesis, the grasses that grow so tall during the spring that they block many of the views around the auto tour. I already had some nice pictures of the yellowthroat more in the open, so I tried to turn my old foe to my advantage. I used the shallowest depth of field to blur out the surrounding plants and highlight the brilliant yellow and black and white of the yellowthroat peeking out from his surroundings.

Yellowthroats aren’t exactly designed for camoflage.

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