The Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge is located along the Columbia River just north of Vancouver, Washington, with interconnected trails, a driving loop, and other visitor facilities. We heard about it through friends when we told them how much fun we had at the Steigerwald Lake Refuge in December.
For our New Year's Day outing, we drove the refuge loop. The day was sunny and beautiful despite the chill, which also meant there were many people out that day with the same idea. I was blown away by how many animals we saw - and a cool variety too!
Today's post includes photos and a video that features deer, a coyote, nutria, egrets, herons, swans, ducks, and geese!
We needed clarification on our first visit because the refuge has three entrances. The "Carty Unit Entrance Gate" has a larger parking area and access to walking trails. The "River S Unit Entrance" is where you go to drive the auto loop. Plus, it looks like there is a third entrance at the Port of Ridgefield. I'm looking forward to going back when the other trails reopen in Spring. The daily entrance fee is $3, or you can buy an annual pass for $15.
If you are in the area, I would definitely recommend visiting and enjoying the beautiful animal sightings! (But please be safe and courteous to others. There was an impatient asshat that hated people who were stopping to watch and take photos of an egret that was incredibly close (presumably the reason anybody would be there - to see animals). Said asshat decided to be a jerk and drive around everyone but could have hurt the bird in the process, which is unacceptable.)
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| I was so surprised when this duck dove into the water suddenly! You can see it in the video. |
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| I often get Red-Winged Blackbird as an ID in my bird sounds app while I'm in the backyard, but I never see them. This was the first time I saw one in person! |
Happy bird-watching!!
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