Spring time is here!

I live in Portland, Oregon and my favorite place to visit is luckily right in the city. The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens is full of animal and plant life all year round. This time of year, trees and flowers are blooming, and the birds are gearing up for breeding season. I took advantage of a sunny day for my first photography outing of spring.

A brief winter visit to the crystal springs

Winter is my favorite time of year to visit the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens since there is a lot of migrating water fowl and less people. The sserenity of the gardens are a perfect treat for any day. This time of year the gardens are free, so if you live in the Portland vicinity, check it out.

BirdFest in Ridgefield

This weekend (October 10 & 11) Friends of Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge presents BirdFest and Bluegrass in Ridgefield, WA. I have not yet gone to one of these, and I will be unable to attend once again due to moving, but it sounds like a lot of fun! Someone needs to go and tell me all about it.

In honor of the festiveness, I decided to post even more photos from Ridgefield, taken on my latest visit a couple weeks ago. I really love visiting this place and this time I got some nice surprises.

An egret stands in the water, looking for lunch.

A hunt in progress. Seeing these egrets so close is a real treat!


A bittern?! !!! These elusive heron-like birds are a rare delight since they are so skittish.


Late summer seems to bring these pipers to the waters at Ridgefield. I never see them any other time of the year.


A Frog! This time of year is also great so spying frogs hiding in the ponds along with turtles sunbathing.


Nutria seems to take over in the summer. The water ways are filled with algae and these critters munching on it all day long. Along a walking path open to the public during the summer, tons of nutria were seen eating along the grass edge. This one was the last to leave, distracted by a flower.


Bees and crickets and other tiny critters were fun to spot. I also saw tree frogs which were fun.


These flowers grow all over in different stages of growth, and always make beautiful subjects to photograph.


Even blooms with less color can create a beautiful display.

Wild flowers take over a part of a grassy field.

Swallows and Ducks at Crystal Springs

The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens are really my favorite place in Portland. I got to introduce a new friend to the area, which is always fun since everyone enjoys it. Where else can you be greeted with so much wildlife and flowers and trees in such a small area? I was surprised to see a family of barn swallows concentrated in a tree. They are so adorable. Of course there were ducks, still some ducklings and flowers as well. Anytime of the year you will find something unique and delightful to see here!

Images from my parent's house

My most personal of flowers is this little rose bush which blooms small roses that are not as well respected. This rose bush grew for a small garden I had as a child and didn’t have success at planting anything. I am not sure why this rose bush grew there, but it became the centerpiece of a pet graveyard. I had many small pets growing up, so I dug around it more often than I liked saying goodbye to short lived loved ones.


There are lots of various flowers growing around my parent’s yard which is along the Columbia River.

My father has a family background in Iris growing and so has become obsessed. I feel that it being a family flower so to speak, I should like them more, but they are kind of hard to photograph. My mom requested I take a picture of the blue iris, even though it was not her favorite, but to show off the different blues.

Hummingbirds fly by often looking for something sweet to drink. During the busy season, by dad restocks the feeders once or twice a day. And there are three on sight.

A Trip to Sauvie Island

I was feeling a little down one recent Sunday morning, but the sun was shining and my camera was calling my name. I decided to go to Sauvie Island and explore the area and even get a parking pass, as required on the island. Someone I volunteer with gave me some ideas of places to check out, and even though I got lost, which is hard to do on the island, I did find many treasures.

There were many flowers in nearby fields.

I love the shape of these plants, especially next to one another.

The first natural area I came across I saw a great blue heron in the field, later joined by an egret. In the distance I could see swans and I yearned to go closer, but signs warned to not go any further and that hunting season was ongoing. In the short distance I saw a red tail hawk flying by a tree, so I started to cross the boundary anyway, but heard gunshots and decided against it. Luckily a red tail stopped in a tree in the “safe zone” and I got some great shots.

As I traveled the road I was unfamiliar with, I found myself at a dead end with bird sounds in the distance, but once again the areas were marked for hunters. So frustrating!

I did manage to see birds in the trees, swans flying overhead and other beautiful sights.

Eventually I got back on the road and finally found a no hunting area and started to take a walk. The downfall was no swans or marshes in the area. I did not go the full 3 mile loop that a hiker told me about, but I did find a woodpecker who was nice enough to let me get close and take cute pictures.

I am excited to go back to Sauvie Island for more nature adventures. Hopefully soon, the hunters will be gone and there can be peace there once again.

Wildlife refuges that allow hunters are common, but it makes no sense to me. It is a challenge to enjoy nature with sounds of destruction in the distance. I had to control myself when I saw one such hunter coming out of the nature zone I was not permitted. With his camo and rifle, he became a symbol on the war against nature we so readily allow.

Remembering Spring

I didn't have time to catch all the beautiful fall colors, so instead I am revisiting spring time with flowers. It is amazing how every season is filled with color, some vibrant, some with amazing patterns, and others are have a mysterious darkness.

I especially love when I can capture an bee or another insect with a flower.

I have a special love for bees, as long as they are not stinging me.

I had never seen these flowers before they popped up in my parent's yeard. I find them to be such a unique, beautiful flower.

When I discovered the super macro setting on my camera I discovered a whole new world.

The insides of a poppy seem to paint the inner sourounding which I find very fascinating.

The ability of a flower to have such a uniform shape is stunning.


I find these flowers simply gorgeous, especially with the morning rain drops.

Later in the day the flowers look so different. Amazing how plants are so adapted to their surrounding.