Glad Jack Castro enjoyed his trip, especially to the Ridgefield
Wildlife Refuge. Since I live near there, I make frequent trips to there
in all the seasons of the year.
Yes......what you saw there were Great Egrets. For the last few
weeks, a flock of 25-30 Great Egrets have been staying at Rest
Lake.....along with plenty of Great Blue Herons, Long-billed Dowitchers,
Willets, Western Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer.[The water
is low right now, exposing mud flats for the shorebirds.]
What you saw in the observation blind was the SECOND batch of
Barn Swallows. They are now out of the nest, and flying around, though
keeping close to home. The FIRST batch earlier this summer had four
young ones in another nest[right above the door].
The male Mallards are molting, and the male Cinnamon Teals have
lost their cinnamon coloe, so, except for the Coots, to the novice eye
all ducks right now look the same drab brown!!!!
I looking forward to the arrival of the Sandhill Cranes shortly.
I also frequentky visit the Willapa Nat'l. Wildlife Refoge at
Long Beach Peninsula, Wash. .....Also the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge
about 25 miles west of Longview, Wash.[this refuge is also a great spot
to view wintering duchs, Bald Eagles and swans, along with white-tailed
deer and Roosevelt Elk. So I will, from time to time, be making reports
on interesting sightings at these areas.
Gerald Hamilton
Brush Prairie, Wash.
gerald at e-z.net