Ridgefield NWR 11-02-11

It was a beautiful and freezing cold morning yesterday, and I headed to Ridgefield to hunt for the Vermilion Flycatcher.


Pied-billed Grebes were looking cold and adorable.


Once the fog lifted it was gorgeous...


A Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret shared some fishing space...


A couple of Cinnamon Teals are still around...


I saw at least five American Bitterns on this trip, some were just sunbathing but a couple were casually plucking fishies out of the water...


I don't think I ever realized how colorful the tops of their noggins were...  Just another reason why they are, in fact, awesome.

It was around the time that I was looking at this bittern that a car pulled up next to me and the guy inside asked if I had seen the flycatcher.  I said no, and he said that it had been pretty much in front of me at one point.  If that's not enough to make a person crazy I don't know what is... So around the loop I went a third time...  


I finally was able to locate the flycatcher in my binoculars when she started flycatching over the water.  I managed about a dozen quick shots with my camera before she disappeared and I had to leave to get to work on time.  Wish I could have stayed to get better looks at her, but I will take what I can get...


Although I was psyched to finally see a Vermilion Flycatcher, all I could think was how dumb this young bird must be... She could be flycatching in style down in Arizona, basking in the warm sun, but instead she is up in Washington freezing off her little bottom.  Come on!  Someone needs to talk some sense into her.

Good times!!

Comments

  1. After everyone enjoys the flycatcher, send her back down here with the bittern too! Never seen one.

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  2. Its true, the flycatcher is prolly a little retarded. A lot of the vagrants that show up on the west coast have a problem in their brain that causes them to orient the wrong direction during migration. Special needs flycatcher.

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  3. Great work finding and capturing the Vermillion Flycatcher! Beautiful refuge shots and nice variety, Jen.

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  4. Love the heron and egret symmetry in that shot. Just lovely.

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  5. Nice work, Jen. Your repeated trips to Ridgefield certainly pay off. In addition to being a tad bit jealous of your Vermillion sighting (seen em' in TX but not in Northwest, and never seen female), I'm still in awe of your Porcupine find there.

    Also, you probably have one of the finest American Bittern photo collections around. Bird on, lady!

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