Spring has arrived in Portland, and my backyard fig tree has become a stage for some of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful small birds. A suet feeder in the garden
I was out at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge the other day when I noticed movement along the water’s edge. A North American river otter had pulled itself up onto a
It’s been a busy couple of months, and I wanted to share what I’ve been pouring my time into. I’m juggling three major projects right now, each one pushing me
I’m excited to share a project I’ve been working on — a bird identification app built specifically for Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. What It Does The Portland Bird
With Seattle Seahawks winnning the superbowl, I learned that the osprey is sometimes called a “seahawk.” I’ve attached a few of my photos of local ospreys.
I made a music video of my favorite photos and clips from Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge: lots of songbirds, waterfowl, and a few surprise visitors. The music is my version
Hello everyone, I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting updates about jonswanproductions.com – and to apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced over the past few
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Yesterday I had one of those wildlife moments that makes you forget to breathe. While standing on the viewing deck at Oak Bottom Wildlife Refuge, a river otter slipped quietly
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
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