Falcons, Fugues, and Fast Fingers
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The peregrine falcon — the fastest bird on the planet in its high‑speed stoop — has always felt like a mirror for my own chase for speed. I nearly reached
Author: Jonathan Swanson
The Merlin That Wasn’t — A Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk at Oaks Bottom
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I published this as my first merlin. It is a juvenile Cooper’s hawk. Here is the correction, and the four field marks that separate a hawk from a falcon. … Continue readingThe Merlin That Wasn’t — A Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk at Oaks Bottom
A Perfect Birthday at Oaks Bottom
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I spent my birthday exactly where I wanted to be—at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge—surrounded by crisp fall air, dripping gold and copper leaves, and the calm of wetland life. It
A Quiet Moment with a Hermit Thrush at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
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This morning’s walk through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge stopped me in my tracks. A small, unassuming bird — the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) — hopped through the leaf litter less
Continue reading A Quiet Moment with a Hermit Thrush at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
– Drummers of the Oaks: Woodpeckers at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
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On a recent visit to Oaks Bottom, I had the good fortune to photograph four striking woodpecker species: the pileated woodpecker, the Downy woodpecker, the northern flicker, and the red‑breasted
Continue reading– Drummers of the Oaks: Woodpeckers at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
Small Space, Big Harvest: A Magical Garden That Feeds People and Pollinators
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My neighbors call it “magical,” and I think they’re right. In a small urban space I’ve created a thriving, wildlife-friendly garden that’s as beautiful as it is productive. With organic
Continue readingSmall Space, Big Harvest: A Magical Garden That Feeds People and Pollinators
– Wood Chips kept falling on My Head — A Long Hunt Ends at Oaks Bottom
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For nearly ten years I’ve come to Oaks Bottom hoping to catch sight of a pileated woodpecker. I had heard rumors of people seeing a Pileated Woodpecker in the forest
Continue reading– Wood Chips kept falling on My Head — A Long Hunt Ends at Oaks Bottom
River Otter on the Viewing Deck — A Surprise Performance at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
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Yesterday I had one of those wildlife moments that makes you forget to breathe. While standing on the viewing deck at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, a river otter slipped quietly
Fluff and Fury: A Flock of Bushtits in Sellwood Oregon
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That afternoon in Sellwood was a beautiful fall day with perfect golden hour lighting. I was wandering through Sellwood Park and I noticed a high-pitched chatter. A busy, bouncing cloud
Continue readingFluff and Fury: A Flock of Bushtits in Sellwood Oregon
Up Close with a Great Egret: A Quiet Fall Afternoon on the Willamette
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There are days when the river seems to hold its breath. On a recent fall day, the Willamette lay glassy and gold, fog lingering in low pockets and the cottonwoods
Continue readingUp Close with a Great Egret: A Quiet Fall Afternoon on the Willamette
2026 Hummingbird Calendar is now available for purchase
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The End of SpringTitle: From Cosmos to Crimson — Saying Goodbye to Spring, Hello to FallThe End of Spring
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The garden still hums with life as spring winds down. Cosmos sway in the soft late-afternoon light, butterflies flit from petal to petal, and the neighborhood cat takes long, sunny
New Portland Scenes 2026 Calendar is now available to order.
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Capture the essence of Portland, Oregon with this 2025 calendar featuring stunning photographs by Jonathan Swanson. Hang it in your office or home to add a touch of Pacific Northwest
Continue readingNew Portland Scenes 2026 Calendar is now available to order.
Domestic Cats: Quiet Nemeses of Songbirds
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I love birds in my backyard: chickadees, finches, and a Downy woodpecker that brightens my mornings. Lately I’ve also noticed my neighbor’s cat prowling around the feeders and caught it
Friendly Downy Woodpeckers Visit My Backyard
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This fall noisy visitors showed up at my feeder and made my backyard a little wilder — Downy woodpeckers They are small, bold, and surprisingly photogenic. After making a few
Continue reading Friendly Downy Woodpeckers Visit My Backyard
Bringing Birds to Life at OMSI — My Volunteer Project (Sept 13–14, 2025)
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I had the pleasure of volunteering at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Fair on September 13–14, 2025, where I ran an arcade-style, multiple-choice bird quiz designed
Continue readingBringing Birds to Life at OMSI — My Volunteer Project (Sept 13–14, 2025)
Up Close with a Great Blue Heron — Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
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On a peaceful late afternoon at the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge I had an unforgettable close encounter with a great blue heron (Ardea herodias). The bird landed in a tree
Continue reading Up Close with a Great Blue Heron — Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
River Otters — Playful Water Hunters of North America
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River otters (Lontra canadensis) are sleek, energetic mammals often seen sliding, diving and hunting in rivers, lakes and marshes. Famous for their playful behavior and acrobatic swimming, these charismatic carnivores
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A Red-Tailed Hawk close encounter
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This morning’s walk through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge I had a close encounter with a Red Tailed Hawk that was clearly used to human presence. Perched high on a telephone
A Tiny Visitor: Gray Hairstreak on My Cosmos
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The other day a tiny gray butterfly landed on a cosmos bloom in my garden, and I was lucky enough to get a macro shot of the moment. Up close,
Continue readingA Tiny Visitor: Gray Hairstreak on My Cosmos