Nature Photographer and Music Producer
This is the nature blog of Jonathan Swanson for members
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
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
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
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
On a peaceful late afternoon at the Oak 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 (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
Continue reading River Otters — Playful Water Hunters of North America
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
Continue readingA Red-Tailed Hawk close encounter
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
Here is a beautiful yellow rose next to my fountain. Portland is the city of roses. What does a Yellow Rose traditionally symbolize? I plant flowers to attract butterflies. Here
Continue readingScenes from my Garden
After putting up a feeder and a small fountain, I never expected the tiny, steel‑blue-and-russet birds that began darting around my fig tree after I installed a feeder and a
Continue readingHow a Feeder and a Fountain Brought Red‑breasted Nuthatches to My Backyard