The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is an "urban refuge" in the middle of the suburbs on the west side of Portland, Oregon. Donated and purchased farm land along the Tualatin River make up the different units of the refuge, which is officially in Sherwood but also touches the edge of Tigard, Hillsboro, and King City. The units were named after the major donors before the refuge opened, but were renamed for the opening. Most of the photos that I took on the refuge were on the Steinborn unit, which was renamed to be the Atfálat'i unit and is the area that is now open to the public.
The refuge features a visitor learning center called the Wildlife Center, a bird photography blind, and nature trails through seasonal and forested wetlands along the river and streams, riparian areas, grasslands, and forested uplands. Because of the diverse habitat, this is one of the best places in the Portland area to view and photograph birds and wildlife at any time of the year.
Bufflehead and its Reflection |
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A black and white Bufflehead glides along on a rippled mirror of water in the muted colors of Winter.... »
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Winter Birds and Scenery |
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Thousands of waterfowl call the Taulatin River NWR urban refuge their home during the winter. In this "birdscape" scene, many different types of birds can be seen in the water, on land, and on the tree, while Tigard's... »
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Great Blue Heron in Snag |
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A lone Great Blue Heron rests in a snag on the refuge, while the hills of Tigard can be seen in the background.... »
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Red-Tailed Hawk Watches from a Mossy Branch |
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A fierce looking Red-Tailed Hawk watches for prey from its perch in a tree covered in moss.... »
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American Kestrel |
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An American Kestrel perches on a tree planted by the Friends of the Tualatin River Refuge volunteers. Every year, the volunteers work for hundreds of hours planting trees, tending previously planted trees, weeding,... »
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Canada Geese in Trees |
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I call this the "Infamous Oregon Tree Goose," because it just made me laugh to see a Canada Goose in a tree. Their flat, webbed feet and their large, hard-to-maneuver bodies just don't seem to be built for waddling... »
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Flock of Geese Fly By Mount Hood |
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On a rare winter day in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, a flock of Canada Geese fly over the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. A snow-covered Mount Hood can be seen in the background, a rare... »
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Winter Morning Scene |
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Trees on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge reflect in an iced-over pond. Clear days in Oregon are rare, unless a push of arctic air comes down from Canada past the Cascades and out to the coast. When that happens it gets... »
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Squirrels |
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Squirrels looking for food on one of the roads on the North side of the Tualatin River National Wildlife refuge.... »
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Cattail |
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Cattails swaying in the wind at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. As the large pods of compacted seeds dry out, they loosen up and puff out and the seeds blow away on cottony wings.... »
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Canada Geese Take Flight |
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There are several subspecies of Canada Goose that winter in Oregon. The Canada Goose Cackling subspecies is commonly found on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Canada Goose... »
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Killdeer |
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A Killdeer watches as the photographer gets on his belly to take this photograph. Normally, Killdeer would stay far away from me on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, but on this day a group of them stayed... »
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Spring Morning Scene |
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Spring morning scene on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, an urban refuge near Portland, Oregon.... »
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American Robin |
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An American Robin perched in a small tree planted by volunteers of the Friends of the Tualatin River Refuge.... »
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Eggs in a Killdeer Nest |
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Eggs in a Killdeer nest in the gravel on the side of a refuge road. Killdeer like to nest in gravel, so the gravel of the road seems perfect to them. And since their eggs are camouflaged so well, it's especially difficult... »
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Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
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A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perched on a branch on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. In the Spring, small flocks of Yellow-Rumped Warblers appear for a short time, probably as they migrate North.... »
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Canada Goose and Chick |
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Canada Goose and newly hatched gosling chick on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I was nearby when I heard a lot of cackling and honking going on in a ravine near the Tualatin River. When... »
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Ring-Necked Pheasant |
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A Ring-Necked Pheasant struts its stuff on the West side of the Tualatin River National Wildlife refuge. The males are especially colorful, and when the sun is low in the sky their chests become irridescent and change... »
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Great Blue Heron Taking Flight |
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A Great Blue Heron takes flight from one of the ponds on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Great Blue Heron Hunting |
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A Great Blue Heron waits patiently for dinner to swim by.... »
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Western Bluebird |
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A Western Bluebird pair on a nest box at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The nest boxes are setup and maintained by volunteers and researchers with the Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project, a group that... »
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Northern Shoveler |
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A Northern Shoveler wades through a shallow pond on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Northern Shovelers usually have their bills in the water, making it hard to get nice photographs with their whole head... »
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Dramatic Sunset |
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A dramatic sunset on a stormy Spring day on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Killdeer Chicks in Nest |
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Killdeer chicks in a bird nest on a gravel road on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. These chicks are newly hatched. Not long after, they had already left the nest. Just like their eggs, these chicks are... »
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Juvenile Bald Eagle |
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A juvenile Bald Eagle patrols the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Residents living on the edge of the refuge, and visitors to the refuge, can often see sights like this.... »
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Juvenile Bald Eagles |
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Juvenile Bald Eagles chase each other on the South side of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (near Highway 99A). This refuge is an urban refuge made up of reclaimed farm land. Residents living on the edge... »
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Red-Tailed Hawk Calling in Flight |
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A Red-Tailed Hawk calls as it prepares to land in a tree top at the Southwest corner of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Two Red-Tailed Hawks were circling the trees nearby while calling to each other like... »
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Raccoon in the Grass |
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A Raccoon ambles along a stream on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Lupine on the Knoll |
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A stem of Lupine stands tall on the side of the knoll at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The Wildlife Center was built at the top of this knoll.... »
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Double-Crested Comorant |
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A Double-Crested Cormorant perched on a branch over a pond on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Mallard Duck and Ducklings |
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A female Mallard Duck leads her ducklings away from danger on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Tree Swallow on Gate Chain |
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A solitary Tree Swallow perched on a gate chain. At the beginning of the swallow season, I spent hours trying to predict where a swallow might be in mid flight so that I could hopefully capture one, because they never... »
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Pied-Billed Grebe Juvenile |
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A juvenile Pied-Billed Grebe wanders down the canal on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Pied-Billed Grebe and "Grebeling" |
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I knew when I saw these Pied-Billed Grebes lining up that I had a potentially great photograph. The sun was low in the sky, which made for great light, and the parent was amazingly prolific at finding fish for its... »
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Marsh Wren |
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A Marsh Wren pours its heart out as it calls during mating season. Marsh Wrens are hard to photograph because they usually stay low within the reeds, so it's hard to get a clear shot, especially if the wind is blowing... »
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Lazuli Bunting |
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A Lazuli Bunting perches momentarily on a gate rail at the East entrance near Chicken Creek on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Great Egret Performs Ballet |
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A Great Egret framed by branches of a snag gracefully balances on its perch. Normally, the hazy cloudy skies of Oregon are too bright and don't make a good background for a bird photograph, but a bright white bird... »
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American Crow |
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An American Crow leaves its perch in a tree on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. This crow was part of a group mobbing a Bald Eagle nearby. An interesting thing about this photograph is how much the branches... »
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Osprey |
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An Osprey perched on a snag scans the pond below for fish. Osprey are regulars at this Refuge and I found this one near sunset at one of their favorite perches. They do a little thing with their head, bobbing it back... »
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Great Blue Heron |
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A Great Blue Heron searches for food in the reflection of an almost neon orange sunset.... »
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California Quail |
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A female California Quail perches on a fence railing near sunset at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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California Quail |
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A male California Quail perches on a fence post in the early morning on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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House Wren with Insect |
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A House Wren brings an insect back to its nest to feed its young at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I watched the House Wren parents for hours as they went out to the field to get bugs, then landed on... »
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Black-Capped Chickadee |
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A Black-Capped Chickadee hangs upside down from a branch, perhaps looking for seeds, on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I daily saw Black-Capped Chickadees and Rose-Breasted Nuthatches at my feeders in... »
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Bewick's Wren |
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A Bewick's Wren on a tree stump on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly |
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A Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly rests on a thistle flower on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Canada Geese in Flight |
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A flock of Canada Geese takes flight above the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. It always amazes me to see such a big, fat bird get off the ground, much less fly!... »
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Great Blue Heron Watches the Refuge |
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A Great Blue Heron watches over the refuge from its perch on a snag on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Eight-Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly |
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A Eight-Spotted Skimmer dragonfly rests on a pod of seeds on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Common Yellowthroat |
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A female Common Yellowthroat perches on a reed in the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The male Common Yellowthroat is the mascot of the refuge, so I was very interested in photographing the males, but in the... »
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Common Yellowthroat |
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Another photograph of a female Common Yellowthroat perched on a reed in the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. In the year or so that I spent on the refuge before it opened, I was only able to photograph a few... »
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Green Heron |
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A Green Heron perched on a mossy branch in the rain at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. In the time I spent on the refuge before it opened, I didn't see many Green Herons even though I knew they should... »
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Great Blue Heron |
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A Great Blue Heron fluffs its neck and stretches its wings from a tree branch on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Great Blue Herons have much more patience than a bird photographer! They'll stand frozen... »
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Belted Kingfisher with its Catch |
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A Belted Kingfisher on a railing with a small fish it caught in the pond below at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Belted Kingfishers can be frustrating for a bird photographer. I knew that there was one... »
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American Bittern |
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An American Bittern waits patiently for a meal in a pond at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I hadin't seen any American Bitterns on the refuge all year, and then one day there were several! The difficult... »
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Wilson's Snipe |
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An elusive Wilson's Snipe at water's edge in the evening on a pond at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Snipe blend in to their surroundings extremely well and since they're pretty shy, you'll hardly ever... »
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An Injured American Wigeon |
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An American Wigeon with an injured wing on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Once hunting season started, I started to see lots of injured birds on the refuge. Farmers with land adjacent to the refuge rented... »
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Sunset Over Chicken Creek |
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A pretty sunset over Chicken Creek near where it comes into the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge on the East side.... »
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Bald Eagles at Sunset |
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Sunset Silhouettes a Bald Eagle pair in this birdscape from the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Once they've eaten, I've found that Bald Eagles can sit in the same spot for hours. I waited patiently... »
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Bald Eagle and Ducks |
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A flock of Northern Pintail ducks and other waterfowl flee a young Bald Eagle on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Whenever an Eagle would take flight on the refuge, all the nearby waterfowl... »
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American Bittern in Reeds |
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Oregon in December is usually dark gray and rainy. On one of the only dry but gray days that month, just a couple weeks before I moved to Arizona, I took one last drive through the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I was heading... »
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"Tracks" in the River Observation Deck |
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Some wildlife "tracks" in the concrete of the Tualatin River observation deck help tell a story about nature. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, being an urban wildlife refuge, is a premier learning place for the Portland... »
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Wetland Observation Deck |
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A scene from the day before the grand opening of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. This is the catwalk to the Wetland Observation Deck. Volunteers from the Friends of the Tualatin River Refuge spent all day sweeping the... »
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Bench at the Wetland Observation Deck |
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A scene from the day before the grand opening of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. This is bench on the Wetland Observation Deck. Volunteers from the Friends of the Tualatin River Refuge spent all day sweeping the walks,... »
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Mount Hood and the Refuge |
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A landscape scene of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge with snow-covered Mount Hood in the background.... »
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Tree Swallow Guards the Refuge |
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Colorful Sunset |
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A colorful sunset at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, with emphasis on the clouds. Sunsets are always the best in summer in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Because of the Northern lattitude, the days are really long, so... »
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Colorful Sunset |
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A colorful sunset at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge with emphasis on the reflections in the pond. Sunsets are always the best in summer in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Because of the Northern lattitude, the days are... »
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Purple Wildflower |
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A purple wildflower blooms beside a nature trail on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. There are so many things to photograph and enjoy at the refuge. Wildflowers are abundant in Spring and Summer and you... »
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Misty Fall Morning |
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A Fall morning fog blankets the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge while Mount Hood rises above the mist.... »
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Snake in the Brush |
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A small snake in the brush near the photography blind on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Fall Morning Scene |
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A Fall morning scene on the refuge. Many times I would leave my house in Beaverton early in the morning on a sunny day to visit and photograph the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. But as soon as I got over or around Bull Mountain,... »
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Fall Morning Mist Birdscape |
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A misty Fall morning scene on the refuge. When the whole valley around the Tualatin River is covered in fog, this kind of scene on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is common. Most of the time, it is too foggy to take photographs... »
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Fall Morning Birdscape |
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A Fall morning on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Some of the best "misty" Oregon scenes can be taken just as the fog starts to burn off on a foggy morning. In this "birdscape," Canada Geese... »
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Chicken Creek on a Foggy Morning |
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Fog and reflections of the leafless trees in Chicken Creek makes for an interesting landscape at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Wildflowers Along the Nature Trail |
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A scene from the day before the Grand Opening of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Walking along the nature trail, there are all kinds of things to keep a nature photographer occupied.... »
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Wayside Sign and View |
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This was the view from the wayside (off Roy Rogers Road) of the Atfálat'i unit on the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in October, 2006 during National Wildlife Refuge Week. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge... »
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Visitor Center and Mount Hood |
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The nearly completed Visitor Center at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge sits atop the knoll with Mount Hood in the background.... »
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Visitor Center and Mount Hood |
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Mount Hood looms over the Wildlife Center, still under construction, and the knoll of the Atfálat'i unit of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in Spring of 2007.... »
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Bench at the Centennial Overlook on the Knoll |
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A view of the refuge from the Centennial Overlook in a peaceful spot on the knoll of the Atfálat'i unit of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge near the Wildlife Center. The bench inscription reads "Celebrating a Century... »
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Wildlife Center |
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The nearly completed Wildlife Center on the knoll of the Atfálat'i unit of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, as seen from the Centennial Overlook.... »
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Late Afternoon at the Wildlife Center |
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A view of the nearly completed Wildlife Center and its reflection in a pond below the knoll on the Atfálat'i unit of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Sunset from the Wildlife Center |
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A fiery sunset at the end of a Spring day as seen from the observation deck at the Wildlife Center at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The interpretive displays feature the bird photography of Ed Bustya.... »
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Kiosk at the Trailhead |
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An interpretive display greets nature watchers and hikers at the trailhead for the main trail at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The display features bird photography by Ed Bustya.... »
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Sunset from the Wildlife Center |
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Interpretive displays on the observation deck at the Wildlife Center at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The interpretive displays feature the bird photography of Ed Bustya.... »
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Wildlife Center on a Cloudy Spring Day |
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The nearly completed Wildlife Center on the knoll under a cloudy sky at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.... »
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Common Yellowthroat |
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A male Common Yellowthroat perched on a branch swaying in the breeze. During the year that I spent photographing birds on the refuge before it opened, I barely saw any Common Yellowthroats. I searched high and low,... »
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