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.

Holidays with Wildlife

I spent many hours over the Christmas weekend at different wildlife refuges. Christmas day my favorite gift was all the wildlife viewing at a refuge by my parents house with my niece and nephew (pictures will post later). On Sunday when the weather was cold and windy, I opted for Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge since they have an auto tour full of wildlife.

A heron in the field at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge.

A blue heron finds lunch in the form of a small rodent. I always thought they just ate fish.

A blue heron flies away after I got too close for his comfort. Sorry.

Baby nutria! They may be invasive, but they sure are cute!

There were four little babies eating grass on the side of the auto tour road at Ridgefield.

Tundra swans fly overhead. I've only seen swans a few times in my life so I was excited.

Swans rest on the pond in Ridgefield. These large birds have so much power behind their wings they could break your bones if you got too close.

A red tail hawk sits in a tree. There were many spotting of red tails in the trees along with refuge.

A red tail fly by my car hollering about something. In this picture he just landed, but his mouth is still open with his screeching talk.

The landscape at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge which is beautiful all year round.

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

This is the perfect time to visit Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, WA. For Portlanders, this is a quick drive up 1-5 and it is worth the visit. I have visiting this place twice now. The fall visit I was surprised by the abundance of tundra swans in the area and the variety of migrating birds. I got to see northern pintails and northern shovelers, both a type of water bird, which I had only seen a few times prior to this.

There were only hawks, osprey, many great blue herons, nutria and other wildlife.

My spring visit included a trail that is otherwise closed in the fall for killers (the sound of gunshots is the one negative about a visit here during the fall). The trail allowed for the sighting of many turtles, some frogs and some egrets in the distance.

There were only a couple ducks and one goose who had a hurt wing and was upset and tried to attack me. Luckily my quick inner wimp allowed me to scream loud and run backwards to avoid a bite. As I warned others enjoying the trail about the goose, I noticed he didn’t have a problem with anyone else. I laughed at myself the rest of the day and continued to enjoy the outing.

Drive slow. Turtles may be crossing.

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.

The Wreck of Peter Iredale

The Peter Iredale sits along the beach at Fort Stevens; a reminder of the force the ocean holds and time passing. This ship wrecked exactly 103 years ago on October 25, 1906 en route to Portland through the Columbia River. They were so close when the ship was swept in and grounded just west of Astoria, OR, but luckily everyone survived.

When the ship first shored itself, the plan was to tow it back to sea since it was not damaged too bad. The beach had other plans for the ship however, and it was too "stuck" for removal. The ship was sold for scraps and what remains is what was not taken for money, or by time. Just the bow, a few ribs and a couple of masts remain. Luckily that is all that is needed for some nice photos and an exploration into history.

The Peter Iredale allows images of nature and metal to come together and create beauty. I was mesmerized by the amazing assortment of photos I could take of this ship and the ocean which surrounds it with the ever changing ocean waves, colors, barnacles and reflections.

Beach Patterns

I enjoyed a fantastic end of the summer trip to the beach in September.  The weather could not have been more perfect with sunshine galore, but not too high of heat.  There were brown pelicans, bunny rabbits, deer, sea lions, racoons, chipmunks, squirrels, birds of all sorts, sky full of stars, vegan marshmallow roasting, beach strolling, shipwreck exploring, history learning and good conversations with a good friend.  What more could I ask for? 

 

Since I took so many photos, I decided to split them up.  Without my camera, I probably would have never really seen all the patterns the beach has to offer.  You may see the beauty in the sand and the uniqueness of the ocean water foam, but these snapshots gave me a new perspective.  

A different view of the beach, allowed for a prime spot to witness waves forming.

This pattern in the sand is so amazing, especially since no one has stomped on it yet.

The meeting of water and sand is a beautiful thing.

The contrast of beach colors captures my attention.

Oops, I guess I stomped all over the beautiful patterns.  Thank you beach.

Welcome to AnimalKind!

I am so excited to announce my new blog where I can share my photos and excitement for the natural world with others.

AnimalKind is about connecting to nature and animals through the lens of the camera. It comes from respect and love for all things wild. It comes from protection for creatures who are not so wild. It is about lessons from the unexpected that the world lends us.


It is the surprise connection to a tiny spider, a deer stepping into the sunlight, spotting a lizard in the distance, a bird flying a dance around you, a family of baby rats trusting you to say hello, seeing a unique bird in the water, watching moments between chipmunks, the depth of ancient trees around you, the majestic swim of an orca, a mesmerizing pattern in the sand, and lots of squirrel fun.

It is about coming alive and filling your heart with excitement by sharing the planet with a world so beautiful. We are so lucky to experience it all if only we pay attention enough to notice. I think when we do take that time and fill the air with our appreciation; we will become aware of more encounters with our wondrous surroundings.