Nature Photographer and Music Producer
Posts about birds in the Northwest that includes pictures and descriptions. Photos are by Jonathan Swanson
Perched like a living sentinel above the glassy surface of the pond, the young bald eagle looked at once tentative and regal. Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge — an unexpected pocket
Continue readingThe Eagles of Oaks Bottom
The morning I found myself beside the water, camera in hand, I expected the usual solitary moments — a single heron standing like a statue, a kingfisher’s brief flash of
Continue readingA Quiet Lesson from the Water: When Birds Teach Us to Live Together
In Oaks Bottom I had that rare, clear quality that makes the city seem to exhale: a low, golden sun, a thin, crisp air, and the marsh grasses catching light
Continue readingA Winter Wildlife Spectacal in OaksBottom
There are mornings that remind you why you carry a camera. My recent walk into Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge turned into one of those days: a red-tailed hawk quartering the
Continue readingA Perfect Afternoon at Oaks Bottom: Hawks, Otters, and Herons in Flight
Today I had a thrilling first: I photographed a Merlin (Falco columbarius) while walking through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. I’ve been coming here for about 12 years and this was
Continue readingMy First Merlin — A Surprise Sighting at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
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
Continue readingA Perfect Birthday at Oaks Bottom
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
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
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
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