Category: Birds

William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge

Even our trip home from the Oregon Coast turned into a delightful adventure when we decided to stop at the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge rather than driving straight home. Though I’ve driven across this country repeatedly, I’d never stopped and walked the land before.

It turned out to be quite different from any part of Oregon I’ve walked before, much drier than I would’ve expected, emphasized even more by a “controlled burn” they’d set just before we arrived as much of the land was scorched black, with only a few, scattered oak trees left standing.

Despite the scorched ground, or perhaps because of it, we were met by this elegant Cooper’s Hawk who seemed nearly as curious as we were, circling overhead repeatedly:

When greeted at the rest stop by this shy Egret, we were nearly as surprised it was:

Higher parts of the refuge were covered in Oak forests, which reminded me of areas in Northern California Wine Country. Disappointingly, the lake that normally offers refuge to thousands of migrating birds was bone dry. In fact, it appeared they were using heavy equipment to dig a deeper pond so this wouldn’t happen again.

Although we didn’t see as many birds as I’d hoped to see, we did see several other raptors, and even delicate butterflies that blended in with the fall colors that dominated the refuge, as summer’s beauty slowly fades to fall’s rebirth:

We even met a bright, engaged young grad student at the refuge, one who realized just how special this place was and how endangered many of the species are that live here. He’s also an excellent nature photographer and offered some great ideas on how and where to get future shots.

What I Did on My Vacation

Leslie and I haven’t been to the beach since moving to Tacoma two years ago, so we decided to spend the last four days touring much of the Washington and Oregon coast. We would have been hard pressed to find a better time to do so as it was sunny and there were far less people than one would expect to find during the summer.

We started our trip at Ocean Shores, a resort I haven’t visited for nearly thirty five years. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, partially because we went to a state park/wildlife area and were greeted by a flock of pelicans that entertained us for nearly a half hour, catching far more fish than the fishermen on the shore.

We were told the pelicans had returned to this area about five years ago. I couldn’t remember ever seeing them before.

After a late lunch, we headed down the coast to Longview, stopping at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge where we were initially greeted by a hawk and Turkey Vulture,

Vulture or not, we considered it an auspicious beginning to what would turn out, however, to be a long, birdless hike. The few birds that were on the tideflats were so far out that even with a telephoto lens they were indistinguishable. Even the small birds that flew along the dike wouldn’t stay still long enough to have their picture taken.

After several miles of walking, we accepted that fact that we just weren’t going to see any birds or animals and started the long journey back. Reluctant to go back without a single picture, I kept stopping and searching for nearby birds. I never saw any, but while doing so I heard the bugle of a bull elk, and spotted a large buck at the wood line

who was soon followed by a small herd of cows. It would have been hard to imagine a better ending to a day where we had found new beauty in old and new places.

Lens Envy

As I’ve gotten deeper and deeper into photography I’ve seen the gap that exists between my equipment and the equipment the top photographers are using. Almost all serious photographers I’ve talked to are using Canon D20’s and using faster 400mm lenses than I have, most considerably faster, and considerably more expensive.

They’ve also steered me to some top-level websites that feature shots taken by other photographers in the Northwest. It’s hard not be intimidated by some of the shots I’ve seen. I’ve never even seen Great Blue Herons as beautiful as the ones pictured, and none of my lenses would allow me to get the kind of crystal clear close-ups they’ve taken.

I’ve had to re-examine my own values and goals in taking photographs. While admitting a fondness of “trophy shots,� that’s not really what I’m attempting to do in my photographs. I’m trying to convey the natural high that I get from being out in nature experiencing nature at its fullest.

Sometimes I think pictures like this

do a better job of conveying that feeling then a spectacular close-up of the same heron would do.

While my shot of a Cedar Waxwing

is not as spectacular or technically outstanding as a shot of two Osprey attacking each other or of a Bald Eagle scooping up a salmon, watching the Waxwings fly back and forth in front of me while feasting on plentiful berries was a highlight of my day.

In fact, I think this rather fuzzy shot of an all-too-common crow shot through layers of branches and leaves is my favorite shot of the day

because I love crows and have no idea why. Born a city boy who spent most of his life shut up in a classroom, my a warm-fuzzy view of nature sometimes seems little more than a romantic longing, but it has served as a constant source of strength throughout my life.

Theler Wetlands Trails and Nature Preserve

A photographer I met at Nisqually last week suggested that Belfair would be the place to get pictures of birds not usually found at Nisqually, so Leslie and I headed out to Theler Wetlands Trails and Nature Preserve today. Only thirty miles away, it was a pleasant drive.

The preserve is a multifunction area, also serving as an educational center for North Mason schools. The classrooms are surrounded by a number of impressive displays, including woodcarvings. This one of a giant mosquito certainly caught my attention when we first got there. Luckily, we didn’t encounter many mosquitoes quite this large:

Unfortunately, neither did I encounter many of the large birds I had hoped to see. Though present earlier in the morning, they had apparently vacated the premises upon hearing of our arrival.

I did get a good shot of this cheeky Song Sparrow, who, unlike most of his friends, didn’t seem particularly shy:

After we finished our two and a half mile walk, we admired the statues and other artwork that decorated the visitor’s center, not the least of which was this metal statue of a salmon:

I was heartened to see how much thought and effort had gone into the center, the creation of the paths, and into creating a sustainable watershed that supports both salmon and other wildlife, but I was particularly pleased to find a place that used art to celebrate Washington’s natural heritage. I suspect this is a place I will return to again and again in the future.