Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, OR (10 Photos)

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is located within the city limits of Hillsboro, Oregon in the United States.  It’s 635 acres is home to over 150 species of birds, and a diverse collection of native plants and animals.  As with any visit to a wildlife park or preserve, what you see is a product of random chance.  On my next visit I could compile an entirely different collection of photos.  I captured the majority of these with a 70-200 lens combined with a 1.4 extender.  This was also the combination I used while on safari in Africa, and while definitely better than a point-and-shoot,  it left me longing for at least twice that focal length.

1: A Tree Swallow perches on a metal fencepost. These cute little birds were abundant within the preserve.
2-3: There were many bird boxes within the preserve. They seem to be all populated by tree swallows. When not nesting in bird boxes they will seek out cavities within trees.
4: A male tree swallow perches on a tree branch. The males have bright blue plumage, and the females are a dull brown.
5: This little guy is a killdeer, which is a type of plover. They are common throughout North America.
6-7: Camas is a native plant to the area. The bulbs are actually edible. I discovered a bee on one gathering some pollen.
8: This bird is a western tanager. As was in this case, sometimes I have no idea what bird I’m looking at. An easy way to find out is to visit the Merlin bird identification tool on Allaboutbirds.
9: A great blue heron sits on a log within Pintail Pond, one of the many water features of the preserve. These are the largest herons in North America.
10: A red winged blackbird perches on a twig. The males have the red and yellow patch emblazoned on their shoulder. This species of bird can be found all over North America.

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