Spent the afternoon and evening yesterday exploring the birder's paradise that is Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio. My favorite part was the 7- or 8-mile drive through the part of the refuge that isn't usually open to the public. They open the dike roads through the wetlands on select weekends so you can get up close and personal with the birds from your vehicle.
It was like a drive-through aviary! There were so many birds every which way I looked I didn't know where to look first! I was stopping every few yards to watch the action. Thankfully, there weren't too many other vehicles and there was space to pull over to let cars pass, so I had the time to stop and crawl and really enjoy it. The following pictures were all taken from the car.
Indigo Bunting belting out his warbling song. I had seen one for the first time just the day before at a different park, so it was a treat to see one again.
A curious Gray Catbird checking me out.
Egrets were everywhere. This one was walking down a stream right next to the road and didn't care that I stopped to take pictures.
I was curious why this swan had an orange head, so I looked it up. Apparently, it's staining from iron in the water.
My favorite picture of the day. I'm amazed at how far a bald eagle can turn its head around!
Wonderful series!