Our Most Memorable Moments at Ottawa Refuge
"A couple weeks ago seeing the heron and snake battle!" --Becky Raper
"We went to a Discover Ottawa Day a couple years ago. My kids loved playing all the events you had out and the making of a bird feeder from a bagel. We had a chocolate chip cookie with our lunch that my kids swore were magic, because they each caught a fish." --Stephanie L Wonnell
"We watched an immature bald eagle eat a fish on the lake shore!" --Christen Varley
"Seeing the baby pied billed grebes !! And SO many swans !!" --Phyl Fleck
"We went to a Discover Ottawa Day a couple years ago. My kids loved playing all the events you had out and the making of a bird feeder from a bagel. We had a chocolate chip cookie with our lunch that my kids swore were magic, because they each caught a fish." --Stephanie L Wonnell
"We watched an immature bald eagle eat a fish on the lake shore!" --Christen Varley
"Seeing the baby pied billed grebes !! And SO many swans !!" --Phyl Fleck
"My husband and I traveled from Arkansas to visit family and I spent part of my 60th birthday there. Saw a baby sandhill crane that day." --Deborah S. Moore
"Watching Sandhill Cranes dancing on a dike last May. My husband and I felt so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to witness it!" --Janie Mellas
"Seeing my first owl in the wild. I got to see three that day." --Helen Carolus
"Watching Sandhill Cranes dancing on a dike last May. My husband and I felt so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to witness it!" --Janie Mellas
"Seeing my first owl in the wild. I got to see three that day." --Helen Carolus
"Our great-grandson overcoming fear!" --Al Timple
"Watching the monarch cocoon working to hatch from the Visitor Center. Didn’t get to see it hatch but still amazing!" --Angie Amburgey
"Walking along a trail by myself wondering why I hadn’t seen an eagle. Then a voice reminded me “Look up” and sure enough a beautiful adult eagle flew right over my head." --Anonymous
“Recovering from back surgery and going to the refuge. Sat on a bench in the woods and felt the serenity help “heal” me was the greatest.” --Ginger Haar, FONWR Board Member
"I’ve been to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge dozens of times. Yesterday evening was the first I noticed gar in the canal that runs along the main road away from the parking lot. The pictures aren’t real great, but there were dozens of them all hanging out along the surface of the water." --Shawn O’Brien
"Watching the monarch cocoon working to hatch from the Visitor Center. Didn’t get to see it hatch but still amazing!" --Angie Amburgey
"Walking along a trail by myself wondering why I hadn’t seen an eagle. Then a voice reminded me “Look up” and sure enough a beautiful adult eagle flew right over my head." --Anonymous
“Recovering from back surgery and going to the refuge. Sat on a bench in the woods and felt the serenity help “heal” me was the greatest.” --Ginger Haar, FONWR Board Member
"I’ve been to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge dozens of times. Yesterday evening was the first I noticed gar in the canal that runs along the main road away from the parking lot. The pictures aren’t real great, but there were dozens of them all hanging out along the surface of the water." --Shawn O’Brien
"Seeing this beautiful eagle, my husband was my boyfriend at the time and he's from South Carolina, they don't have many bald eagles around where he lives so he never got to see one outside of the TV screen. We went looking for awhile until we were leaving and we spotted one right outside on a telephone pole, I climbed out of the sunroof to get the perfect picture. It was the perfect date and was a beautiful memory I got to experience with my other half." --Andrea Simms
"My first biggest week, I had been there several times as a kid. But a few years ago I really started birding a ton and really set my heart on a wildlife career." --Calista May Temple
"It was a Mother’s Day a few years ago . I was with my son and on the back stretch of the auto tour there was a mini fallout of migrant birds. He isn’t a birder but he sure pointed them out to people! It was a great time.. ended up with 27 warblers plus a lot of other migrants. My son liked the cerulean warblers and redstarts the best and rose breasted grosbeaks and scarlet tanagers. Oh and yellow billed cuckoos! (All three of them) Best was the time with my son highlight was watching his joy at finding and pointing out the birds to everyone!" --Jean Parker Vrahiotes
"My first biggest week, I had been there several times as a kid. But a few years ago I really started birding a ton and really set my heart on a wildlife career." --Calista May Temple
"It was a Mother’s Day a few years ago . I was with my son and on the back stretch of the auto tour there was a mini fallout of migrant birds. He isn’t a birder but he sure pointed them out to people! It was a great time.. ended up with 27 warblers plus a lot of other migrants. My son liked the cerulean warblers and redstarts the best and rose breasted grosbeaks and scarlet tanagers. Oh and yellow billed cuckoos! (All three of them) Best was the time with my son highlight was watching his joy at finding and pointing out the birds to everyone!" --Jean Parker Vrahiotes
"Been a few years ago but we were there on the drive to the “beach “ and myself and son got to see a fox with a kit! Awesome!!" --Angie Arnsbarger
"The Tundra Swans coming back to the refuge in November one year. They where so low that you can hear their wings whistle." --Carol Smidutz
"Getting my Lifer American White Pelican on the Blue Goose tour." --Lynn McPheron Harris
"Just love every visit but the swans with cygnets made the last trip special." --Karon Seaver Gardner
"The Tundra Swans coming back to the refuge in November one year. They where so low that you can hear their wings whistle." --Carol Smidutz
"Getting my Lifer American White Pelican on the Blue Goose tour." --Lynn McPheron Harris
"Just love every visit but the swans with cygnets made the last trip special." --Karon Seaver Gardner
"Seeing the Pelicans is up there, but seeing the Limpkin is tops for me." --Lori England Zornes
"I would take my son when he was young and we would find lucky stones. Now he does it with his kids. Fun to pass on things like that with each generation!" --Mary Reau
"I couldn’t pick one....it’s a magical place!" --Kellie Orshoski Kenniston
"I would take my son when he was young and we would find lucky stones. Now he does it with his kids. Fun to pass on things like that with each generation!" --Mary Reau
"I couldn’t pick one....it’s a magical place!" --Kellie Orshoski Kenniston
"The butterfly stop off in Sept ‘18 was a day I will remember my whole life. The trees were literally dripping in Monarchs." --Dorthy Baker
"The first time I brought my grandson there! He was so happy to see the Pelicans, baby Pied Billed Grebes, Marsh Wrens, Snowy Egrets just to name a few. That was three or four years ago....he's twelve now. He was sad we couldn't visit this year. Hopefully he will still want to visit next year." --Marcia Kinnard
"My best memory is when we were just about to turn into ONWR. We had stopped briefly as we debated where to go next when an adult Bald Eagle swooped down from above our car to snag a rabbit on the road basically right in front of us! He flew away, carrying a meal to his nest I’m sure. No pics, of course. We were all busy squealing and pointing!" --Vicky Strycharske
"My greatest trip was two years ago watch Gary Horton, Elden Bucheau trapping muskrats they are unequivocally the two best trappers in Northwest Ohio.
Tha best of the best ratters." --Patrick Kelley
"The first time I brought my grandson there! He was so happy to see the Pelicans, baby Pied Billed Grebes, Marsh Wrens, Snowy Egrets just to name a few. That was three or four years ago....he's twelve now. He was sad we couldn't visit this year. Hopefully he will still want to visit next year." --Marcia Kinnard
"My best memory is when we were just about to turn into ONWR. We had stopped briefly as we debated where to go next when an adult Bald Eagle swooped down from above our car to snag a rabbit on the road basically right in front of us! He flew away, carrying a meal to his nest I’m sure. No pics, of course. We were all busy squealing and pointing!" --Vicky Strycharske
"My greatest trip was two years ago watch Gary Horton, Elden Bucheau trapping muskrats they are unequivocally the two best trappers in Northwest Ohio.
Tha best of the best ratters." --Patrick Kelley
