Two days at Ridgefield NWR

I made an early morning drive down to Ridgefield last Friday and spent 2 days there. For those not familiar with this refuge it is in southwest Washington not far from the coast. There is a 4.2 mile drive through portion where you are not allowed to get out of your car, however the road takes you past a variety of habitats at close range and the wildlife gets somewhat used to auto activity. I think I was a bit early in the year for the best results because many birds are still arriving. I did, however, come home with several good images and am posting a few of them here. I used my 300, 500 and 800mm and all 3 of my camera bodies at various times.
Bob

Frosty morning breakfast vole (you can't get that at McDonalds!)

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Great set of images, The swans in flight look a bit soft, I presume you were focussed on the foreground ones, it would have been a real cracker if they were a tad crisper.

WONDERFUL shots!

These are all great shots Bob....love the one of the harrier.

I saw that Northern Harrier! What a beautiful bird.

When I was there (two weekends ago) my wife and I saw five river otters on the back channel. I was amazed as it has been years since I've seen otters in the wild. The last time was a large family of them up at Kalaloch on the Olympic peninsula.

Your images inspire me to head back up to RNWR. Well done! Nice work you have here.

very nice shots....I know some other potners were up there this weekend. We almost went with them. Looks like there were a lot of opportunities even this early.

Wow wonderful series but the harrier has me gasping, tough enough to find a mature male and even tougher to get close to one.

Ooo that harrier shot is beautiful! Thats sure something to be proud of.

Wonderful set, Bob. I love the first Red-tailed shot and the River Otters, although they are all great. Good shooting.

The Harrier shot is really special, you caught him at the perfect moment.
Number 1 is very good as well. It looks like you had a very productive day for sure.

Really Nice series, You really got some beauties in there, sounds ( and looks) like it is a wonderful place to spend time with your camera for sure!!

Excellent series, Bob. Love the harrier.

What an excellent set of shots Bob... and a beautiful variety... I could use that heron in my garage... He is a heck of a mouser........

db

Thank you all for your comments. Shooting from the car has its positives and negatives. You can stay warm, sit in a comfortable seat, drink coffee and listen to music while you're waiting for a harrier to glide by. Unfortunately no company has built the perfect vehicle for this activity. You need large windows, no center console (so you can slide from one side to the other), an electric engine so that starting the car to move forward or back doesn't make noise, and a large enough moon roof to allow you to stand up and get those flight shots. Alternately, you need someone to drive so you can move back and forth in the rear seat. I ran into BradM while there and he was doing just that. It must be nice to have a girl friend who will do that for you!

I am anxious to go back there a little later this winter when the days are longer and the birds more tolerant of the car activity.
Bob

Excellent series and I like the Harrier shot best as well!