Member Dinner Success, Calendars 1/2 off, New Faces, Upcoming Events, Starting BirdFest Planning
February 2017
Annual Member and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner a Success!
The Friends' Annual Membership and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held on January 22nd, 2017 at the Ridgefield Community Center. A delicious main course was provided byThe Refuge Chef, and guests generously shared tasty side-dishes and desserts.
During dinner, our members, volunteers, sponsors, and community members were able to purchase items donated by local vendors during BirdFest, purchase raffle tickets for more fun prizes, and were given an accounting of past and future refuge projects from the Refuge Project Leader Chris Lapp. All of this was followed up with words of thanks from the President of the Friends Board, Jim Maul, as well as an introduction and presentation from Friends staff members, who spoke about their positions, why they love the Friends and the Refuge, and what they would like to work towards in the future.
A great addition to our event was when a few of our long-time supporters and volunteers came to the front to share their love of the Refuge, and to lend their support to our new Community & Nature Center Project, both financially and in a call for support from everyone in attendance. Many of our members followed up with this generosity, and money was collected to be used toward the project.
To wrap up a delightful afternoon of good food, good company and fun, we said a heartfelt goodbye to Russ Roseberry, who is leaving the Friends Board after many years of dedicated service. Russ was presented with a Chinookan paddle carved and presented by Sam Robinson, the Vice Chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation and a fellow Board Member, as well as a bag of fun goodies put together by Friends and Refuge staff members to memorialize his time working with the refuge. Russ will continue to work for and with the Friends as the Chairman of the Community & Nature Center Project Committee, and we are grateful for his continued support!
Photo Contest Calendars,Half Off!
Help support the Friends ofRidgefieldNational Wildlife Refuge, and our unique education and habitat restorationprograms by purchasing this great gift!
Originally $15, now just $7.50! These 16 month calendars run from January 2017 to April 2018, and feature all 16 of the 2016 Refuge Photo Contest Winners. Each month's photo is labelled with the winner's name and what place in the contest they got, as well as identification of the subject of each photo. This calendar also includes some key dates that are important to the Friends and the Refuge.
This 8.5x11 calendar opens to 11x17, with #80 cover paper and #100 text paper inside. It is saddle-stitched, and includes a hole for wall hanging.
Please contact us at contact@ridgefieldfriends.org with questions.
You can also find these calendars for sale at Season's Coffee Tea & Remedies- located inside the Old Liberty Theater at115 N Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642!
(Cash or check please!)
BirdFest & Bluegrass Planning Committee Seeks New Members and Ideas!
Do you love attending our annual BirdFest celebration? Do you want to see it be successful in 2017? If so, than we need YOU to get involved in planning this years’ event. Commitment is one two hour meeting a month, March - September, and volunteering BirdFest Weekend (October 7th & 8th).
We are looking for help in the following areas:
Organizing Kids activities in Davis Park
Coordinating the vendors in the Birders Marketplace at the Community Center
Coordinate special walks or talks
Volunteers to lend a hand
Ideas on things you would like to see during BirdFest? Workshops? Talks? Activities you wish we had?
Just sit in and brainstorm new and exciting BirdFest activities!
Christmas Bird Count:It was tense, waiting for the day of the Christmas Bird Count for the Ridgefield/Sauvie Island Circle. We had to cancel our traditional date before Christmas and hope that Jan 2, 2017 would work for us. Luck was with us, and though it was a cold day to be out on the refuge, it was sunny and lovely. Many of our participants walk areas on the refuge to best find and count every bird they see. We have teams covering all the units, downtown Ridgefield, the Vancouver Lowlands, Burnt Bridge trail along Salmon Creek and all roads west of I-5.
Twenty-seven birders put in almost 80 hours of field work to find and identify just short of 50,000 birds in our circle, the greatest portion being on the refuge itself. Of interest was the shortage of owls found this year. We only had five Great Horned Owls found on the refuge, which is a third of the usual count for the circle. Seven Short-eared Owls were found on the refuge, one very early in the morning along the River ‘S’. Swans are a winter favorite. Over 2000 Tundra Swans were counted, a quarter of those being on the lakes of the River ‘S’ unit. If you want to see the scarce Trumpeter Swans, the Carty unit is the place to look as half of our counted 75 Trumpeters were on that unit. We are often asked about American Bitterns in winter. Our team on Bachelor Island found two, demonstrating that a few stay around in the winter, though they are very hard to find. Several days before the count day, there had been reports of swallows on the refuge. Probably the cold snap just before the count discouraged them from staying around as none were found on count day. A bit of a disappointment. And, yes, the Sandhill Cranes are around. We counted 1331 in the circle, with half of those being found in the Vancouver Lowlands area; the rest were scattered around the refuge. This is a good time to see Bald Eagles of course. With the numerous ducks around, there is plenty to eat for them. Bald Eagles were spotted at least 50 times during the day, but the population number is probably closer to 39 given the eagles move around so much and get spotted by multiple teams. Of course, the most numerous bird species was Cackling Geese as usual. But there were big numbers of sparrows around, the Golden-crowned Sparrow being the most numerous. A detailed report of the findings for the refuge will be posted at the contact station.
Kid’s Corner: We recently put up a new white board at the contact station which was installed at kid level. We have been encouraging kids to report what they are seeing on the refuge. Our first reports were Bald Eagle, Deer and Great Blue Heron. Making it more fun, the reports come with drawings. We welcome any additions to these sightings. Also available for our young visitors are photos of many of our wildlife friends found on the refuge. One of our frequent photographers, Jim Cruce, donated photos to the refuge, which we like to give out to kids to take home as a memory of their visit. Ask the volunteer at the contact station about the photos.
Reporting from the River 'S' Contact Station- Susan Setterberg, Volunteer
Bird Sightings
2016Sightings and more!
Here is a recap of some of the rare bird sightings on the refuge in 2016:
Total unique birds sighted in 2016: 155
Total unique birds sighted since 2010: 222
Months for most unique birds sighted in 2016: May at 102, January at 97, and Aug & Sept at 94
Months for most unique birds sighted since 2010: May at 168, Sept at 153, and April & August at 149
(Because of Migration, most bird sightings are April/May & August/September. Because of some anomaly January was high last year)
Rare birds sighted in 2016:
American White Pelican
Horned Grebe
Eastern Kingbird
Black-bellied Plover
Red Crossbill
Black Phoebe
Lesser Goldfinch
Rarest birds sighted in 2016:
Gray Jay
Red Phalarope
Palm Warbler
Black-necked Stilt
Red Knot
(Some birds that were out of season and thus considered rare in that season were not listed)
The Friends want to know what you are seeing this coming year! If you see a rare bird, or catch a great shot of something on the refuge, we would love to see it, and maybe even share it! The Friends are constantly looking for images to include with social media posts, in our Enews, and more!
If you see something on the refuge and catch a photo of it you'd like to share, send it our way to contact@Ridgefieldfriends.org, and include the name of who we should credit. We can't wait to see what you are seeing!
Photo Credit: Black Phoebe by Lyn Topinka
Choose Your Own Adventure
New Daycation Mobile App
"In the spirit of a more interconnected greater Portland-Vancouver region, we introduce Daycation-- fun, convenient excursions throughout The Intertwine's abundant natural areas, showcasing diverse perspectives on rest & relaxation in nature. Daycations are personalized adventures combining parks, trails, beaches, waterways, coffee shops, brewpubs, libraries and other fun waypoints."
"For those of you new to the scene, Daycations are personalized adventures around the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region combining parks, trails, beaches, waterways, coffee shops, brewpubs, art, history and other fun waypoints. Intertwine Alliance partners the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Metro, Vive NW and ROSE Community Development are planning a public Daycation launch for the summer of 2017, with adventures being served up by mobile app and on The Intertwine website."
To learn more, submit your own Daycation ideas, and find some tips on making the most of your daycation, learn more here: The Intertwine Daycation App
Tend Your Bird Feeders During Cold Weather
Feed the birds and you may be rewarded!
We all know that birds have a harder time finding food sources in the wintertime, cold temperaturesdrive insects underground, and seeds and nuts are scarce. For our year-round Anna's Hummingbird friends, finding nectar and insects can be difficult. A way to help them out is to keep your feeders full, and you may get a surprise!
These photos were taken in Beaverton Oregon during this last bout of snow storms, this could be your view if you keep your feeders full on a regular basis!
New Faces Around the Refuge!
Sean Davis: Habitat Restoration and Education Specialist
"Sean Davis is the new habitat restoration and education specialist. He will be getting his hands dirty alongside volunteers planting trees and pulling weeds, then working with school groups and other youth to expand stewardship, appreciation and a working knowledge of the Refuge.
Sean cut his teeth in the classroom teaching ESL in New York City before deciding his talents were better served in the outdoor classroom. Prior to arriving in Ridgefield, Sean has shared his love and wonder of nature with school groups in Georgia, California, and Hawaii as an environmental educator.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, Sean has worked in the North Cascades interpreting hydro-electricity production on the Skagit River, as well as teaching Pacific Northwest ecology to 5th graders from Bellingham. In Eastern Oregon, Sean led a small crew of high school students on a summer survey of the Malheur and Umatilla National Forests. And in Southern Oregon, Sean taught students in the Rogue Valley of the salmon life cycle. Sean hopes to expand science programming on the Refuge by engaging more visitors and school groups in citizen science efforts and inquiry projects."
Ridgefield Refuge Complex
News & Events
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Voices from the Urban Refuge Support Team
Follow some of our highlights and let us know if you would like to be more involved.
Mesha Wood
Club Aves
The winter storm has had many of use thinking about warmer weather - which inspired me to get together with our partners from Club Aves, a youth birding group in NE Portland, to discuss spring and summer programming. I, along with other USFWS staff, look forward to helping lead neighborhood walks, focused on connecting youth from the Cully neighborhood with the outdoors. The Service has provided transportation funding to the group…helping make visits to nature places beyond their neighborhood more attainable. If you have ever wanted to join an energetic group of youth and see the world of birding through their lenses, contact me at mesha_wood@fws.gov to see how you can get involved.
Dozens of young people in Portland came to Matt Dishman Community Center on December 30th to meet with local environmental organizations and learn about job opportunities in the coming year. Through the Urban Refuge Program, the USFWS supported the event with funds and planning support. Jenny worked closely with the Youth Mentoring Collaborative (YMC) to organize the event. YMC is a coalition of organizations working together to advance professional opportunities in the environmental field, particularly for youth of color. Pat attended the event, co-hosting a table with Rose Community Development, to recruit youth for the upcoming Daycation Youth Engagement Program. The Daycation program will invite small teams of young people (ages 14-19) to learn and engage in friendly competition while creating adventures for the new Daycation Mobile App, which the USFWS is developing in cooperation with partners of the Intertwine Alliance.
Jenny de la Hoz
DEI and Intertwine
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Intertwine Alliance is a coalition of over 160+ public, private and nonprofit organizations working to integrate nature more deeply into the Portland-Vancouver region. With financial and staff assistance from the Urban Refuge Support Team, Intertwine is actively working to create an environmental movement that is inclusive and representative of all. Intertwine is expanding and refining their tested “cohort model” of engagement to offer programming to 40 local organizations to create an ongoing learning community focused on DEI. Beginning in late February and early March, we are convening four cohorts from these organizations to learn to address different aspect of DEI and environmental work. Curious and want to learn more? Drop me a note jenny_delahoz@fws.gov.
Kim Strassburg
Positive Youth Engagement and the Outdoors
Our whole team has been working closely with a new partner, I’M Hooked, whose mission is to use fishing as a platform to reach urban youth, giving them an alternative to the many negative influences they may encounter. Together, we are planning to provide local youth opportunities to learn new skills, to make a difference in their community, to interact with other youth from diverse cultural backgrounds, and to gain experiences in leadership and shared decision making. Through our combined efforts, we aim to instill an appreciation for nature, conservation, restoration and education by way of water, rod, and reel. Look for I’M Hooked at our May 20thTualatin River Bird Festival, helping to teach kids casting skills. And we will support I’M Hooked’s signature Family Fishing Weekend at Henry Hagg Lake June 3rd & 4th. This event has serving up to 1,500 participants annually for 28 years and continues to deepen its impact. Won’t you join us at both events to help share your love of nature with kids and families? Drop me a line at kim_strassburg@fws.gov.
Thank you for visiting the refuge and supporting conservation. If youhave any questions regarding activities and regulations on the refuge,call the office Monday through Friday 7:30am to 3:30 pm at 360-887-4106.
Cathlapotle Plankhouse
Update & Events
Upcoming Events to Save the Date for:
Volunteers:
Volunteer Enrichment:
The February Volunteer Enrichment event will be a visit to the Oregon Historical Society in mid to late February. We will take in the photography exhibit (See information below), tour the museum, and grab a meal as a group near the Park Blocks in Portland.
This will be our first Volunteer Enrichment outing for the year, as our kick-off VE event was the Friends Dinner.
Future VE Events will include a reptiles and amphibians walk and talk with Deputy Project Leader, Eric Anderson in March; a geology highlights walk and talk, a volunteer paddle, and more! All of these outings are a way for the Friends to say thank you for your time as active volunteers, to show our appreciation and broaden your scope of knowledge, so by being an active volunteer you not only get to spend time on the refuge, but there are some great perks too!
Oregon Historical Society 1200 SW Park Ave Portland, Oregon 97205
The Columbia River flows for over 1200 miles, born free in the cradle of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. From its humble beginnings from a tiny spring you can straddle, to a two mile wide confluence with the Pacific Ocean, the river flowed for thousands of years in a natural state of astounding beauty. In this exhibit, photographer Peter Marbach shares his decade-long odyssey and passion to document the entire river, from source to sea.
(Photo: Photographer Peter Marbach)
Annual Volunteer Naturalist Training Series Starts in April! Spring is almost here and that means that we are recruiting our next class of volunteer naturalists, interpreters, and educators! Join our team to connect people of all ages to their local public lands.
Indian Country Conversations with Jarvis Kennedy - The Burns Paiute Voice on the Malheur Occupation
Jarvis Kennedy, Burns Paiute Tribal Councilman and a member of the Burns Paiute Tribe will be joining us for the spring series of Indian Country Conversations. Jarvis will share his perspective on the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the resulting impact on the Burns Paiute tribe. Jarvis has served as a strong voice against the occupation from its beginning.
Date: February 17, 2017, 4:30 PM Free and Open to the Public
Location Information: Willamette University Campus Alumni Room - Putnam University Center 900 State Street Salem, Oregon 97301
Indian Country Conversations with Elizabeth Woody, Oregon Poet Laureate
Elizabeth Woody (Navajo/Warm Springs/Wasco/Yakama) has published poetry, short fiction, essays, and is a visual artist. Her first poetry book, Hand Into Stone received a 1990 American Book Award. Her second and third collections published in 1994 are Luminaries of the Humble, by the University of Arizona Press, and Seven Hands, Seven Hearts, Prose and Poetry by The Eighth Mountain Press. Elizabeth is an alumna of Kellogg Foundation’s Fellowship through the AIO Ambassadors program. She is born for Tódích'íinii (Bitter Water clan) and her birthplace is Ganado, Arizona.
Date:March 9, 2017, 7 pm
Location Information: Willamette University Campus - Rogers Music Center 900 State Street Salem, Oregon 97301
Habitat work on the refuge took a short pause last month thanks to a continuous barrage of Pacific moisture and an influx of arctic temperatures. We saw trees falling, hillsides slumping, and many of our avian neighbors leaving for open water. It was all quiet on the River ‘S’ except for the occasional coyote foraging for what hides beneath the snow.
And then the rain washed it away and we got back to work. Volunteer crews continued releasing maturing trees from planting tubes and constructing beaver barriers. We will continue this project on the Carty Unit through February with continued support from community volunteers. I would like to take a moment to thank the UNFI employees who have not only donated many hours of work to this project, but generously contributed an assortment of quality snacks in support of the effort. If you were thinking about coming out for a Wednesday event I would remind you that we now have an assortment of quality snacks.
We will also have a couple Saturday events and a President’s Day blackberry reduction party in February so we hope you can join us in freeing trees and frustrating beavers.
The volunteer event on President's Day, Monday February 20th, will go from 9am - 12:30 pm, email: SeanfoRidgefield@gmail.com to sign up!
(click this poster to view larger and download)
Questions? Contact Keith_Rutz@fws.gov for more information
Online Store Now Open!
The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge are proud to announce the opening of a new webstore! Now you can order our 50th Anniversary Gear- the Pelican Brewing Company 50th Anniversary T-shirt, and our Photo Contest Calendar, all online!
Check out our Shop for links to the store and more info, or click HERE to go directly to the store!
Proceeds help support our unique education and restoration programs at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge!
Follow the Friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Want regular updates on Refuge events and happenings? Follow the Friends on your favorite social media by clicking the logos below tostay connected even when you are off the Refuge.
Help the Friendsand the Refuge WhenYou Shop Online
When you link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to the Friends, you help us earn donations from Fred Meyer Community Rewards. It doesn't change your regular personal shopping and fuel rewards, but it does make a meaningful contribution to our work on the Refuge.
It's easy to sign up. Just go towww.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. You can search for us by our name, Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, or by our non-profit number,89824.Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping the Friends earn a donation to support the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. If you do not have a Rewards Card, they are available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer store.
You Can Also Shop and Give Online at AmazonSmile.com
Log on to smile.amazon.com, shop as you usually would and .5% of your purchase will be donated directly to the Friends. Use the special link, smile.amazon.com, with your existing user name and password.
To set up your AmazonSmile account, click this link:http://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-2018749.When prompted to select a charity, choose the Friends of Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge.Begin shopping as you normally would and the Friends will receive 0.5% of eligible purchases.
Thanks for being an EcoShopper and helping the Refuge!
Joining comes with great benefits including perks like 5% off at the Sportsman's Steakhouse & Saloon in downtown Ridgefield just for being a member of the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge! Check out the Benefits of Membership below to find out more.
Events
Volunteers Wanted!
Habitat Restoration Event:
Monday, February 20th, Presidents Day
Check out the Habitat Restoration section of this newsletter below for info and who to contact to sign up!
March Volunteer Orientation Webinar Series:
Thinking about volunteering at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge? Tune in to our volunteer orientation webinars and start your journey at the Refuge! These webinars will be recorded and posted on the Refuge website, so if you miss the live broadcast, you can catch up with them later. To register or for more info, contact Josie Finley at Josie_Finley@fws.gov or call (360) 887-4106.
March 1: Intro to the Ridgefield NWR Complex by Deputy Project Leader Eric Anderson
March 8th: Intro to Native Cultures of the Lower Columbia River by Cathlapotle Plankhouse DirectorSarah Hill
March 15: Volunteer Program Overview by Park Ranger Josie Finley
March 22: Volunteer Safety by Park Ranger Josie Finley
Annual Volunteer Naturalist Training Series Starts in April! More info in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Section below. To become an education or naturalist volunteer, and help with school groups, hikes, walks and more, contact Josie_Finley@FWS.govor Plankhouse@gmail.com
Save the Date: Local Wildlife Refuge Open House March 4th, 10:30-3:00
Cascade Park Library
600 NE 136th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684 Presentations at 12:00 and 2:00
Want to learn more about how you can get involved at one of our local National Wildlife Refuges? Want to hear about exciting new programs and projects? Come out to the Cascade Park Library to chat with Friends and Refuge staff about what’s going on at YOUR local Refuge!
To make sure you keep up-to-date on all the Friends news, send us updated contact info when you change email addresses and mailing addresses. Changes can be sent to: Contact@ridgefieldfriends.org, at any time, or you can always sign up for our E-newsletters at www.ridgefieldfriends.org in our Newsletter sign-up boxes located in the sidebar of any page!
Junior Duck Stamp Contest
Young artists! Get your paint, pencils and creativity together for another year of the Junior Duck Stamp Contest!
The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of the Junior Duck Stamp educational program. After studying waterfowl anatomy and habitat, students may express their newfound knowledge by drawing, painting or sketching a picture of an eligible North American waterfowl species.
Ridgefield First Saturday: Tailgate Party & Chili Challenge
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Bundle up the kids, throw on your favorite team colors and truck on down to Ridgefield for a tailgate party extravaganza!
11:00 Tailgate Festivities @ Overlook Park
Farmer’s Market & Sports-Related Vendors
Flag football games – all ages can participate.
Cornhole contest
Facepainting by Ridgefield Art Association
DJ will provide entertainment and music.
Outdoor Beer Garden by 3Peaks Public House
Food vendors featuring Steakburger
style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0; margin: 0;">Noon – 2nd Annual Community Chili Challenge @ Overlook Park
style="font-weight: bold; padding: 0; margin: 0;">Tasting and voting from Noon-1:00PM
Professional Competition: Anyone who can prepare chili in a commercial kitchen is eligible to participate. Public tasting will determine the winner!
Amateur Competition: Anyone is eligible who can bring apot of chili. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges. CASH PRIZES for first and second place: $25 entry fee; $250 grand prize; $100 second prize.
1:00 – Winners Announcement and Celebration
Football Scavenger Hunt:Find football team mascots at participating merchants around town and win prizes!
Anyone who attends wearing their favorite team colors will be entered in a prize drawing!
For more information about participating in the chili challenge contact City Hall or Laurie Lanza, Sage Organics, atlanza.laurie@gmail.com.
THANK YOU TO SAGE ORGANICS FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENT!
The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is looking to expand its Board Membership. The Board is seeking individuals with a deep passion for the environment and wildlife, appreciation of the area’s rich cultural heritage, maintenance and restoration of habitat, and environmental and cultural education.
We are looking for individuals with interests and skills in dealing with the intersection of organizations, the government, and business; advocacy; and fundraising. Board Members are expected to attend monthly meetings, lead and participate in designated committees, BirdFest and Fundraising events, and other community activities and events.
Please send your resume and a letter of interest to: contact@ridgefieldfriends.org
Species Spotlight
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
The hooded merganser is a small but striking duck with a magnificent, eye-catching appearance. Adult males command sharp black-and-white patterns set off by chestnut flanks, while females and juveniles are gray and brown but carry their own distinctive elegance with a beautiful cinnamon crest. They are commonly spotted in the Refuge, and are truly a special sight to see.
Hooded mergansers are generally found in or around small freshwater woodland ponds or swamps, and even brackish estuaries or tidal creeks, where they dive for fish, crayfish, and aquatic insects. Their eyes are especially suited for underwater sight, and they’ll skillfully pluck their meal from the water with their narrow, serrated bills.
These beauties breed in forested wetlands throughout the Pacific Northwest and also eastern North America, and may also nest in unforested wetlands in man-made nest boxes. Families of newly-hatched ducklings forage in shallow water, including marshes, small lakes and ponds, swamps, and forested rivers. They winter in these habitats as well as on shallow freshwater and brackish bays, estuaries, and tidal creeks, where they often congregate along the edge of ice. During migration they can frequent assorted habitats, including open waters of rivers and lakes, brackish coastal waters, tidal creeks, and flooded forests.
Males court females by expanding their white, sail-like crests and making very low, grainy, groaning calls. Hooded mergansers fly distinctively, with shallow rapid wingbeats.
Breeding can occur anytime between late February and late June, depending on the location. Male and female hooded mergansers form monogamous pairs and stay together until the female selects a nesting site and finishes laying her clutch. The male then leaves the female to incubate and take care of their young. Females will actively seek out dead tree cavities or artificial nest boxes, like those used for nesting wood ducks.
The female lays a clutch of 7-15 eggs but only begins the incubation when the last egg has been laid, to provide for simultaneous hatching. The incubation period lasts on average about 30-35 days. All hatchlings are usually the same size. During incubation, the female may lose anywhere from 8-16% of her body weight. Like most waterfowl, hooded merganser hatchlings usually leave the family nest within 24 hours after hatching. Once they leave the nest, the young are able to dive and forage, but will stay with the female for warmth and protection.
Did You Know: Along with Wood Ducks and other similar cavity-nesting ducks, hooded mergansers often lay their eggs in the nests of in other females. This is known as “brood parasitism” and is similar to the practice of Brown-headed Cowbirds, except that the ducks only lay eggs in nests of their own species.
Female Hooded Mergansers can lay up to about 13 eggs in a clutch, but nests have been found with up to 44 eggs in them.
Hooded Mergansers find their prey underwater by sight. They can actually change the refractive properties of their eyes to improve their underwater vision. They also sport an extra eyelid, called a “nictitating membrane,” which is transparent and helps protect their eyes during swimming, similar to a pair of goggles.
The Hooded Merganser is the second-smallest of the six living species of mergansers, and is the only one restricted to North America.
The oldest recorded Hooded Merganser was a male and at least 14 years, 6 months old when he was shot in Mississippi in 2009. He had been banded in Minnesota in 1995.
Photo Credit: Eric Bjorkman
Help Represent the Friends &the Refuge at Community Outreach events!
We are looking for a few dedicated volunteers who love the refuge and would like to help others discover what makes this place special. Outreach volunteers are needed to help staff Friends and Refuge booths at events in our community from Ridgefield to Portland. Outreach volunteers work alongside Refuge and Friends staff to answer questions about the Refuge, provide information about what visitors can do at this Refuge, and act as ambassadors for one of our region's best kept secrets. Interested in learning how to get involved? Contact Park Ranger Josie Finley at Josie_Finley@fws.gov or call (360) 887-4106.
Birding Enthusiasts
See what is being seen at the refuge this week at our Weekly Sightings page, or get a summary of the year's sightings so far on the 2016 Sightingspage.
The Benefits of Membership
In addition to receiving the monthly E-News with Refuge updates, upcoming events and wildlife news, members enjoy member- and volunteer-only events. Also, with any $50 membership, you will receive an annual Refuge Pass, which covers entrance fees.
Don’t forget to glance at the Refuge calendar, your one-stop shop for fun activities and volunteer opportunities!
Discounts at Local Businesses for New and Renewing Members:
Would you like to enjoy a cup of coffee from Ridgefield's Seasons after a morning hike on the Refuge? Or perhaps breakfast before you head out on the auto tour route at Pioneer Street Cafe? Lunch at Vinnie's Pizza in-between the River 'S' and Carty Units? Dinner and drinks at the Historic Sportsman's Restaurant and Lounge after a busy day of wildlife viewing? Or maybe you would like to get a discount on some supplies at Shorty's or Backyard Bird Shop?
Clark Public UtilitiesThe ColumbianCorwin BeveragesEnvironmental Paper & PrintFred Meyer Community RewardsNational Environmental Education FoundationNational Fish & Wildlife FoundationParr LumberPelican Brewing Co. Portland Audubon
When Amazon removed AmazonSmile, we lost our Amazon Wishlist access. Now, we have finally started one back up! Shop for items that the Friends and the Refuge Complex need to help with everything from habitat restoration to events like BirdFest & Bluegrass, and help support wildlife in little and big ways.
Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (PK822). For more information, please visit the link below.
we said a heartfelt goodbye to Russ Roseberry, who is leaving the Friends Board after many years of dedicated service. Russ was presented with a Chinookan paddle carved and presented by Sam Robinson, the Vice Chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation and a fellow Board Member, as well as a bag of fun goodies put together by Friends and Refuge staff members to memorialize his time working with the refuge. Russ will continue to work for and with the Friends as the Chairman of the Community & Nature Center Project Committee, and we are grateful for his continued support!
Kid’s Corner:
Portland-Vancouver region, we introduce Daycation-- fun, convenient excursions throughout The Intertwine's abundant natural areas, showcasing diverse perspectives on rest & relaxation in nature. Daycations are personalized adventures combining parks, trails, beaches, waterways, coffee shops, brewpubs, libraries and other fun waypoints."
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Habitat work on the refuge took a short pause last month thanks to a continuous barrage of Pacific moisture and an influx of arctic temperatures. We saw trees falling, hillsides slumping, and many of our avian neighbors leaving for open water. It was all quiet on the River ‘S’ except for the occasional coyote foraging for what hides beneath the snow. 
and a President’s Day blackberry reduction party in February so we hope you can join us in freeing trees and frustrating beavers.
Gear- the Pelican Brewing Company 50th Anniversary T-shirt, and our Photo Contest Calendar, all online!
