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Answers:
Bird #1: The Great Blue Heron is a common wader seen in Clark County. The fact that these birds were seen singly in the water throughout the refuge helps identifies them. They usually hunt alone either for aquatic food or in fields. They do nest in rookeries with hundreds of other herons around them. They fly with their necks in an "S".
Bird #2: The American Wigeon can be found in great numbers in the Pacific Northwest including Clark County. They can be found in the water or in grain fields. The flocks can be quite noisy with their "rubber ducky" squeaking. The bill is a light blue with a black tip. The rufous-gray sides with the white rump and black tail are easy to see. In flight they show a green speculum and a large white (gray in females) patch on the forewing.
Bird #3: The Greater White-fronted Goose are often seen by themselves or in a flock of Canada Geese. They are not as numerous in Clack County as the Canada Geese are but they can found.
Bird #4: The Sandhill Crane uses the Ridgefield NWR as a stop over on its way south. They gather to feed in small to large flocks. They can be found in great numbers at the refuge. A count of over 1250 roosting birds was registered in October of 2000 at Campbell Lake at Ridgefield Refuge. They slowly move south and then some stop on their return north. The sandhill crane are gray with red crowns. The young ones are mottled gray and brown. They fly with head and legs out stretched in a line.
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