Ridgefield NWR 07-24-10

Yes I made it up to Ridgefield yesterday morning... It was fun but I definitely didn't get the feeling that I'd missed a whole lot- except of course those coyote pups I keep seeing pictures of on Flickr!

The bunnies are still everywhere you look..

Lots of young coots and grebes around... I thought it was cute that they hung out together...

(unless of course I'm wrong and that's not a coot)

I decided to brave the Kiwa Trail despite my lack of bug spray- for some reason when I returned from Yellowstone I took it out of the car darn it!

This pretty snake was sunning itself next to the water...

I made it through the first part of the forested area with only 2 new mosquito bites... Not too bad.  Out in the meadow I took a bunch of pictures of a mystery bird in flight:

I was hoping it might be an owl but the only picture with the head is way too blurry for me to tell...

The meadow is in full bloom...

Hiding in the yellow flowers were yellowthroats...

Not hiding in the yellow were tons of swallows- lots of young ones too..

This guy looks like he has a blue cape on over his dull brown..

Back in the forested area the mosquitoes had woken up or something and began their assault.  I still stopped for a few pictures...

Note the turtle head popping out of the bottom of the photo.  Cute.

By this time I had acquired bites between all of my fingers and on my cheeks.  Then they started working through my jeans and I retreated to the car.  I'm really starting to look forward to fall.

The flowers and plants sure are pretty though...

The Savannah Sparrows just love these refuge signs...

Near the end of the route I watched a flock of ducks fly in.. Cinnamon Teals I believe.  It's been such a long time since I've seen so many ducks flying together.

I decided to drive the route a second time just in case those coyote pups decided to come out and play.

Nope, but these young ducks came out for a swim... Mallards?  I was confused because they seemed to be following a pair of Gadwalls but they're not Gadwalls.. right?

Back to the young grebes.... They're just adorable.

And across the way in the big reed-filled pond was a coot baby!  I didn't think I'd see any more so young this summer...

LOVE them.

I saw a couple more of the young coots nearby...

A loud little Song Sparrow..

So I suppose I didn't see anything very new (to me) or exciting but it was still fun to get back up there...