Ridgefield National Wildlife Preserve
Sunday morning dawned with bright sunshine and blue skies, but by the time we hit the road, high clouds had grayed the sky and eliminated most shadows. Still, the temperature was pleasant and the air was calm. We headed south, along the I-5 freeway toward Portland. We had a couple of errands to run first, before heading to our destination, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Preserve, on wetlands along the shore of the Columbia River about 50 miles south of home.
Heading south on I-5 along the Columbia River. Thank a fast shutter speed for this photo taken while driving 70 mph.
There are two sections in the Preserve and they are separated by the town of Ridgefield, Washington. One contains a replica of a cedar plankhouse of the type that Lewis and Clark found here in Cathlapotle Village of the Chinook people. There is also a 2-mile wetlands trail with views of nearby Carty Lake.
The other section and our destination was the 4.2 mile River "S" discovery auto tour in and around the wetlands. There is one 1.5 mile hiking trail in this section, open May-September. An auto tour is just the ticket for someone like me who has limited mobility and many perfectly fit people enjoy it as well.
Entry into the River "S" unit of the preserve is by way of a rustic one-lane plank bridge.
Fun signs are posted along the drive as a reminder to visitors to stay in their vehicle.
The first thing we spotted upon entering the preserve was a River Otter. He came bounding over a little mound of grass, slid into the water, dove and came up with a little fish, which he hardly chewed at all, then disappeared under the water not to be seen again. Unfortunately, the little fellow was moving too fast for me to get a shot on full zoom before he disappeared. Here is a photo I found on the University of Michigan website:
Some views of the preserve:
Every time I visit the Ridgefield National Wildlife Preserve, there are many different birds to see. Some are in residence year-round, others come just for the winter or to nest, and still others just stop off for a rest on their way to distant lands.
Reader Comments
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Oh, I need a plane ticket and another memory card for the camera.
Going to a Bonsai convention today in Dallas. Not attending any workshops, just going to see the exhibits of cool bonsais and shop the vendor area.
Have to put six hours in at work and then----------*
That much for bird seed totally counts! And 30 lbs for Rufus supplies is very impressive, I doubt I have used a cup for my Rufus population.
Don't know if there is a consensus yet, but I was betting on Heckle and Jeckle :)
We have had lots of rainy days but today is a sunny day, albeit cool. I am tempted to take a walk rather than work out on the treadmill. We'll see what I will actually do. It is hubby's birthday today and am trying to take him to a nice restaurant. He wants to go but first he has to workout as per doc's order.
I am enjoying the book I am reading by Follet. So my contribution to today's activities has been to sit and read.
Take care.
Sandi: Housework out of the way. Play time for sure. And, knowing you, maybe some fun baking thrown in for good measure. Have fun with your writing and don't get any crumbs in your keyboard.
Ggrrl: I'll pick you up at Toledo International Airport in just a few minutes. How was the bonsai event? Did you get some inspiration?
WTS: Consensus on the professorial black bird is pretty much a tie between Heckle & Jeckle and hazy memory. I hope to snap at least a few worthy photos to share.
Pros: Happy Birthday to Mr. Pros. I know you'll make sure he has a good one -- as soon as he's a good boy and does his exercises.
--------------------
Well, DH, aka Mr. BC, has gone off to Portland for the day. He discovered a new game board haven, so naturally he had to go for an afternoon of gaming with new people. On his way back home, he'll stop at the La-Z-Boy showroom at Delta Park to pick up the new recliner he bought on Friday. Yep, he's been putting on the mileage. His old recliner finally broke and he's been shopping locally. While searching online for tall-man-recliners for him to test-sit, I discovered La-Z-Boy in Portland was having a 20% off sale Friday only. Add to that, no sales tax in Oregon, so another 8% savings. Worth the gas for two 150-mile round trips to Portland.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (just kidding; no critters here to make it a ranch)....
I'm home alone. With a car. And permission to drive.
Ggrrl got all excited about 500 acres of tulips, so she's tagging along (vicariously). In a few minutes, I'm going to carefully get behind the wheel of my dirty little blue Hyundai, go rob the ATM in Toledo for a little spending money, just in case. And then tulip farm, here I come. Who knows what I'll see along the way. I might even try snapping a quick pic while driving a la Sandi. It's a cloudy day, but dry, so we'll just have see.
Have a great Sunday, everyone. I'll be back in WUville tomorrow -- hopefully with some tulips for you to see.
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