Jan. 6, 2014 – Ridgefield NWR – 36 Images

Home » Jan. 6, 2014 – Ridgefield NWR – 36 Images

Jan. 6, 2014 – Ridgefield NWR – 36 Images

Posted in

I recall this day, Jan. 6, 2014, as being an awesome day at the Ridgefield NWR!  Fairly nice photography weather and some nice wildlife activity was awaiting me.  Please remember to click once on the thumbnails below to download a larger, more detailed picture.   My site was recently moved to a faster, more updated server, so the downloads are a lot faster now.  Give it a try and see what you think!

First up are some Sandhill Cranes doing what they usually do when I drive by–fly away.   It made for a pretty winter morning shot though.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/800, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (8:14 a.m.)

_X5A1147-Edit20140106RNWR  sandhill cranes

 

A rare visitor to the refuge, here’s a Canvasback looking very handsome.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/400, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (8:29 a.m.)

_X5A1159-Edit20140106RNWR   Canvasback

 

I came across a group of raccoons up in a snag while driving through the Ash tree forest.  Here are a few shots from this encounter.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/640, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (9:20 a.m.)

_X5A1175-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1198-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1212-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1214-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

 

Two mature Bald Eagles on the ground near marker #13.  Note the Nutria in front of the eagle on the left.  The birds paid no attention to it and vice versa.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f8, ISO 1250, 1000mm.     (10:27 a.m.)

_X5A1319-Edit20140106RNWR  bald eagle

 

One of the above eagles takes off.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f8, ISO 1250, 1000mm.     (10:36 a.m.)

_X5A1331-Edit20140106RNWR  bald eagle

 

I’d wished I had a faster shutter speed on this as most of the shots in the series of this otter were way too blurred from its motion.  It was dark in the shade here and bumping up the ISO would have certainly introduced much unwanted noise.

_X5A1388-Edit20140106RNWR  river otter

 

Bird on a wire.  This Song Sparrow posed nicely for me.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/500, f8, ISO 1600, 1000mm.     (11:14 a.m.)

_X5A1407-Edit20140106RNWR  song sparrow

_X5A1409-Edit20140106RNWR  song sparrow

 

This is a series of shots taken when a Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (11:24 a.m.)

_X5A1437-Edit20140106RNWR   great blue heron

_X5A1443-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

_X5A1447-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

_X5A1449-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

From the same location where I took the heron landing photos, I shot this beautifully colored Norther Harrier as it grabbed some potential nesting materials in its bill.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (11:31 a.m.)

_X5A1501-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

And, just a short distance up the road a Great Egret was foraging near the road’s edge.  I figured I’d try a few close up shots.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f7.1, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (11:40 a.m.)

_X5A1513-Edit20140106RNWR  great egret

_X5A1523-Edit20140106RNWR  great egret

 

Between markers #2 & 3, I spotted a lone female Ruddy Duck.     Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f7.1, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (11:47 a.m.)

_X5A1534-Edit20140106RNWR  ruddy duck

_X5A1544-Edit20140106RNWR  ruddy duck

 

Here I’m near the large rocks across the road from the Kiwa Trail entrance.  Someone had placed bird seed on the rocks which attracted this Golden-crowned Sparrow.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2500, 700mm.     (12:46 p.m.)

_X5A1593-Edit20140106RNWR  golden-crowned sparrow

 

I can’t pass up even a back shot of this Peregrine Falcon.   Not the greatest quality here but the bird makes up for it.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (12:51 p.m.)

_X5A1615-Edit20140106RNWR  peregrine falcon

 

News spread quickly between refuge visitors that a Barn Owl was snoozing in a hollowed out tree trunk in the Ash tree forest.  Due to the darkness of this location and the stillness of the bird, I was given the opportunity to shoot at a much slower shutter speed than I normally do, making good use of my lens’s image stabilization feature.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/320, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (12:57 p.m.)

_X5A1634-Edit20140106RNWR  Barn Owl

 

Just prior to marker #10, I spotted this Double-crested Cormorant.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/640, f6.3, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (1:06 p.m.)

_X5A1677-Edit20140106RNWR  double-crested cormorant

 

And, a couple more shots of our visiting Canvasback.     Canon 5D Mark III, 1/800, f6.3, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (1:10 p.m.)

_X5A1700-Edit20140106RNWR  canvasback

_X5A1701-Edit20140106RNWR  canvasback

 

Driving through the Ash tree forest, I spotted a young Red-tailed hawk perched maybe 10 feet up–a wide open shot with no obstructions.   Sometimes these youngsters don’t associate a vehicle driving close by with danger, and they’ll let me shoot to my heart’s content.  I took some shots of the bird’s front side and then drove a little past the perch and took some more.  Here are shots from each viewpoint.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/250, f5.6, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (1:55 p.m.)

_X5A1727-Edit20140106RNWR  red-tailed hawk

_X5A1795-Edit20140106RNWR  red-tailed hawk

 

A pair of Buffleheads–one of my favorite ducks.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (2:11 p.m.)

_X5A1832-Edit20140106RNWR  bufflehead

 

I was watching and photographing this beautiful Northern Harrier on the ground when it suddenly took flight with a rodent in tow.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 500mm.     (2:15 p.m.)

_X5A1844-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier with catch

 

A fly-by, sponsored by a Great Blue Heron.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 500mm.     (2:23 p.m.)

_X5A1851-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

 

What I think is a California Gull.  The first shot is treated with a low key filter in Nik Color Efex Pro 4, giving it a different look.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f4, ISO 1250, 500mm.     (2:36 p.m.)

_X5A1896-Edit20140106RNWR  california gull

_X5A1905-Edit20140106RNWR  california gull

 

And, to finish up the day, big-eyed Northern Harrier with catch.   The bird was really too far away to get a quality shot but I took some shots anyway.  It was so small in the viewfinder that it wasn’t until I got home and looked at these photos on a bigger screen that I saw it had caught, carried, and devoured a rodent.

_X5A1921-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

 

_X5A1930-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

 

_X5A1933-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

This certainly turned out to be one of my more active shooting days at the refuge.   Hope you enjoyed something here!  Take care and I’ll see you next time on The Blog!

Posted in

I recall this day, Jan. 6, 2014, as being an awesome day at the Ridgefield NWR!  Fairly nice photography weather and some nice wildlife activity was awaiting me.  Please remember to click once on the thumbnails below to download a larger, more detailed picture.   My site was recently moved to a faster, more updated server, so the downloads are a lot faster now.  Give it a try and see what you think!

First up are some Sandhill Cranes doing what they usually do when I drive by–fly away.   It made for a pretty winter morning shot though.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/800, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (8:14 a.m.)

_X5A1147-Edit20140106RNWR  sandhill cranes

 

A rare visitor to the refuge, here’s a Canvasback looking very handsome.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/400, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (8:29 a.m.)

_X5A1159-Edit20140106RNWR   Canvasback

 

I came across a group of raccoons up in a snag while driving through the Ash tree forest.  Here are a few shots from this encounter.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/640, f4, ISO 1600, 500mm.     (9:20 a.m.)

_X5A1175-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1198-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1212-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

_X5A1214-Edit20140106RNWR  raccoon

 

Two mature Bald Eagles on the ground near marker #13.  Note the Nutria in front of the eagle on the left.  The birds paid no attention to it and vice versa.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f8, ISO 1250, 1000mm.     (10:27 a.m.)

_X5A1319-Edit20140106RNWR  bald eagle

 

One of the above eagles takes off.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f8, ISO 1250, 1000mm.     (10:36 a.m.)

_X5A1331-Edit20140106RNWR  bald eagle

 

I’d wished I had a faster shutter speed on this as most of the shots in the series of this otter were way too blurred from its motion.  It was dark in the shade here and bumping up the ISO would have certainly introduced much unwanted noise.

_X5A1388-Edit20140106RNWR  river otter

 

Bird on a wire.  This Song Sparrow posed nicely for me.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/500, f8, ISO 1600, 1000mm.     (11:14 a.m.)

_X5A1407-Edit20140106RNWR  song sparrow

_X5A1409-Edit20140106RNWR  song sparrow

 

This is a series of shots taken when a Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (11:24 a.m.)

_X5A1437-Edit20140106RNWR   great blue heron

_X5A1443-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

_X5A1447-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

_X5A1449-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

From the same location where I took the heron landing photos, I shot this beautifully colored Norther Harrier as it grabbed some potential nesting materials in its bill.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (11:31 a.m.)

_X5A1501-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

And, just a short distance up the road a Great Egret was foraging near the road’s edge.  I figured I’d try a few close up shots.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f7.1, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (11:40 a.m.)

_X5A1513-Edit20140106RNWR  great egret

_X5A1523-Edit20140106RNWR  great egret

 

Between markers #2 & 3, I spotted a lone female Ruddy Duck.     Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f7.1, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (11:47 a.m.)

_X5A1534-Edit20140106RNWR  ruddy duck

_X5A1544-Edit20140106RNWR  ruddy duck

 

Here I’m near the large rocks across the road from the Kiwa Trail entrance.  Someone had placed bird seed on the rocks which attracted this Golden-crowned Sparrow.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 2500, 700mm.     (12:46 p.m.)

_X5A1593-Edit20140106RNWR  golden-crowned sparrow

 

I can’t pass up even a back shot of this Peregrine Falcon.   Not the greatest quality here but the bird makes up for it.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (12:51 p.m.)

_X5A1615-Edit20140106RNWR  peregrine falcon

 

News spread quickly between refuge visitors that a Barn Owl was snoozing in a hollowed out tree trunk in the Ash tree forest.  Due to the darkness of this location and the stillness of the bird, I was given the opportunity to shoot at a much slower shutter speed than I normally do, making good use of my lens’s image stabilization feature.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/320, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (12:57 p.m.)

_X5A1634-Edit20140106RNWR  Barn Owl

 

Just prior to marker #10, I spotted this Double-crested Cormorant.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/640, f6.3, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (1:06 p.m.)

_X5A1677-Edit20140106RNWR  double-crested cormorant

 

And, a couple more shots of our visiting Canvasback.     Canon 5D Mark III, 1/800, f6.3, ISO 1600, 700mm.     (1:10 p.m.)

_X5A1700-Edit20140106RNWR  canvasback

_X5A1701-Edit20140106RNWR  canvasback

 

Driving through the Ash tree forest, I spotted a young Red-tailed hawk perched maybe 10 feet up–a wide open shot with no obstructions.   Sometimes these youngsters don’t associate a vehicle driving close by with danger, and they’ll let me shoot to my heart’s content.  I took some shots of the bird’s front side and then drove a little past the perch and took some more.  Here are shots from each viewpoint.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/250, f5.6, ISO 1250, 700mm.     (1:55 p.m.)

_X5A1727-Edit20140106RNWR  red-tailed hawk

_X5A1795-Edit20140106RNWR  red-tailed hawk

 

A pair of Buffleheads–one of my favorite ducks.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 700mm.     (2:11 p.m.)

_X5A1832-Edit20140106RNWR  bufflehead

 

I was watching and photographing this beautiful Northern Harrier on the ground when it suddenly took flight with a rodent in tow.      Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 500mm.     (2:15 p.m.)

_X5A1844-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier with catch

 

A fly-by, sponsored by a Great Blue Heron.    Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f5.6, ISO 2000, 500mm.     (2:23 p.m.)

_X5A1851-Edit20140106RNWR  great blue heron

 

What I think is a California Gull.  The first shot is treated with a low key filter in Nik Color Efex Pro 4, giving it a different look.

Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f4, ISO 1250, 500mm.     (2:36 p.m.)

_X5A1896-Edit20140106RNWR  california gull

_X5A1905-Edit20140106RNWR  california gull

 

And, to finish up the day, big-eyed Northern Harrier with catch.   The bird was really too far away to get a quality shot but I took some shots anyway.  It was so small in the viewfinder that it wasn’t until I got home and looked at these photos on a bigger screen that I saw it had caught, carried, and devoured a rodent.

_X5A1921-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

 

_X5A1930-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

 

_X5A1933-Edit20140106RNWR  northern harrier

 

This certainly turned out to be one of my more active shooting days at the refuge.   Hope you enjoyed something here!  Take care and I’ll see you next time on The Blog!

2 thoughts on “Jan. 6, 2014 – Ridgefield NWR – 36 Images”

  1. Amazing photographs!!! I love the first raccoon picture – the lighting makes it appear as though she has on red toenail polish! hahaha
    Thanks Dennis!!!

    1. Thanks, Christy, for the nice comment! I didn’t even notice the toenail colors–guess I need to pay closer attention! Good to see you are giving the shots a good looking over.

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My Gear:

  • Canon EOS 5D Mark IV & Grip
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • Canon EF 500mm f4L IS II
  • Canon EF 24-105mm f4L
  • Canon EF 50mm f1.8
  • Canon 1.4X III Extender
  • Canon 2x III Extender
  • Canon 580EX Flash
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  • Better Beamer
  • Manfrotto tripod/monopod
  • Manfrotto Gimbal Head
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  • Joby Gorillapod Focus & Ballhead
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  • Original Bug Shirt Elite Edition

Software:

  • Adobe Photoshop CC
  • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
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  • Nik Sharpener 3
  • Nik Dfine 2.0
  • Nik Viveza 2
  • Nik HDR Efex Pro 2
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