Birders' top spots | Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Location: Clark County, north of Vancouver, Wash.

Habitat: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge with 5,150 acres of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands along the Columbia River.

Best season for birding: Spring, fall and winter.

Birds commonly seen: Refuge is home to sandhill cranes mid-October to April; 15,000 cackling and Canada geese mid-November to mid-April; and tundra swans November-March. Resident bald eagles prepare nests in January. Abundance of wintering ducks includes gadwalls, American wigeons, northern shovelers, northern pintails, ring-necked ducks, green-winged teal, buffleheads and lesser scaups. Green herons remain April-October, black-crowned night-herons and great egrets visit briefly late summer to early fall, unusual white-throated sparrows winter here. Look for white-breasted nuthatches in oaks, and black terns and black-necked stilts in wetlands.

Viewing: There are two units to the refuge: Carty Unit — Cross bridge over railroad tracks to 2-mile Oaks-to-Wetlands trail, with replica of Chinook plank house visited by Lewis and Clark in November 1805 where Clark wrote, "I slept very little last night for the noise kept up during the whole of the night by the swans, geese ... brant (and) ducks." River S Unit — 4.2-mile year-round driving tour, and 1.2-mile Kiwa Trail May 1-Sept. 30. Caution: Unit open to waterfowl hunting.

Getting there: Carty Unit — From Interstate 5, take Exit 14 (Ridgefield/Battleground/Highway 501) and turn west onto Northwest Pioneer Street/Highway 501. Drive 2.7 miles. Turn right (north) onto North Main Street in town of Ridgefield. Drive 1 mile. Turn left (west) into refuge. Park in lower area. Caution: Refuge gate self-closes at 7:30 p.m. River S Unit — From I-5, take Exit 14, turn west onto Pioneer Street/Highway 501. Drive 2.4 miles. Turn left (south) onto South Ninth Avenue/South Hillhurst Road. Drive 0.6 mile. Turn right (south) at refuge sign onto unnamed dirt road. Drive 0.5 mile, cross river, park at restrooms. Caution: Refuge gate self-closes at 9 p.m.

Source: Audubon Washington, Great Washington State Birding Trail maps. To order maps (Cascade Loop, Coulee Corridor, Olympic Loop or Southwest Loop), go online to www.wa.audubon.org. Call toll-free, 866-922-4737, for more information.