I enjoyed one of the last days of the "you can actually get out of the car and look around" season at the Ridgefield NWR "River S" Unit today. A Merlin was sallying from a perch and snagging dragonflies out of midair. A second Merlin appeared a few times and jousting ensued. The Red-shouldered Hawk was seen and heard briefly near the photo blind parking area. Sandhill Cranes and Cackling Geese were active as well. The Kiwa Trail was pretty quiet but I heard several Golden-crowned Sparrows singing. I saw zero shorebirds except for Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe although Rest Lake was drawn down with lots of promising mud exposed. Kind of a bittersweet day with the warm sunshine, exciting bird activity, and looming seasonal restrictions/closures.

A few photos from today are here starting with the Merlin-
http://www.pbase.com/dwight_porter/image/146317895

Dwight Porter
Portland, Oregon
dinpdx AT yahoo.com