6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part IV

This final chapter of a series highlights a variety of bird species that can be seen at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife Drive at opportune times.

The Northern Cardinal above (image 1) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

Images presented were captured on the mornings of 25 November and 10 December. If you look closely at the image immediately above, you can see the reflection of a male Northern Cardinal that was perched on the side view mirror of the car when the picture was taken. Cardinals and Florida Scrub-Jays are particularly entertained by their reflections in mirrors and glass.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 2) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Tricolored Heron above (image 3) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Green Heron above (image 4) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 5) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey above (image 6) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey above (image 7) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey above (image 8) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Green Heron above (image 9) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The juvenile Snowy Egret above (image 10) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 11) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Snowy Egret above (image 12) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Snowy Egret above (image 13) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 14) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Little Blue Heron above (image 15) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The juvenile Snowy Egret with prey harassed by Laughing Gull above (image 16) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 17) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Greater Yellowlegs above (image 18) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 19) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Little Blue Heron above (image 20) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 21) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 22) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 23) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 24) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 25) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 26) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 27) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Common Ground Dove above (image 28) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 29) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The juvenile Snowy Egret above (image 30) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Laughing Gull with prey above (image 31) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 32) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The banded American White Pelican above (image 33) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The banded American White Pelican as seen above and below was the first I have seen in my nearly nine years of wildlife photography. The banded pelican was seen by wildlife enthusiasts and photographers France Paulsen and Gail Campbell at the Refuge in preceding days. The best I could discern was that the code color of the tag was black indicating that the pelican was banded in Minnesota or South Dakota. The tag and code colors will indicate other possible Northwestern states where the pelicans are banded.

The banded American White Pelican above (image 34) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 35) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Wood Stork above (image 36) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 37) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 38) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull with prey above (image 39) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull with prey above (image 40) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The White Ibis above (image 41) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Great Egret above (image 42) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 43) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The American White Pelican above (image 44) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Little Blue Heron above (image 45) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Osprey above (image 46) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Laughing Gull above (image 47) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Laughing Gull above (image 48) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The White Ibis with Laughing Gull and Snowy Egret above (image 49) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Snowy Egret with White Ibisabove (image 50) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The White Ibis with Laughing Gull above (image 51) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Laughing Gull with White Ibis above (image 52) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The immature Bald Eagle above (image 53) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

The Dunlin above (image 54) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

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The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 55) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in December 2015.

Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part I
Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part II
Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part III