Category Archives: Pacific Northwest

Northern California (San Fran and north), Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and British Columbia.

Lynn Canyon Park – a wildlife adventure on the edge of Vancouver, B.C.

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River otters can be seen below Twin Falls. Photo by Ken Bosma.

BY TRICIA EDGAR
“Those are otters!” I exclaim to a couple nearby as I walk down to Twin Falls for catch a glimpse of these new residents of Lynn Canyon Park, a short 20 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, B.C.
As I walk across the Lynn Creek bridge I see four river otters, red-mouthed and full-bellied, finishing off their catch. They crouch in the middle of a damp rock below the falls. As the water pounds down around them, one otter drags a salmon out of the water and they feast.
The presence of otters here means there are now enough salmon in the river to support otters in the Lynn Creek watershed. For decades, the Morten Creek Salmon Hatchery… Continue Reading

Powell Butte Nature Park – a great birding adventure minutes from Portland

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A view of Mount Hood from Powell Butte. Photo by Chelsea Schuyler.

BY CHELSEA SCHUYLER
“Hummer!” our guide shouts and all eyes turn skyward just in time to witness an Anna’s Hummingbird hover for an instant in midair, then dive-bomb a male Lazuli Bunting from twelve feet up. Incredibly, a vibration of the male’s hummingbird’s tail feathers creates a single piercing “chirp!” just as he pulls up from the dive. The volume is remarkable for such a small creature.
The bunting doesn’t bat an eye; apparently he is used to this.
With his brilliant blue head, orange chest and white wing bars, the Lazuli Bunting is the “target” bird of today’s hike, and a large group of us are gathered here on Portland Oregon’s Powell Butte to see it. But before we… Continue Reading

Great wildlife adventure just 30 minutes from Seattle

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Sunset colors Mount Si as it rises above Meadowbrook Farm. Photo courtesy of the City of Snoqualmie.

BY CASONDRA BREWSTER
Just a short, scenic drive from Seattle lies a 460-acre open space perfect for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. Located in the Snoqualmie Valley, Meadowbrook Farm has a herd of 300 elk, an extensive trail system and abundant solitude.
Meadowbrook elk… Continue Reading
Meadowbrook Farm hosts a herd of nearly 300 elk. Visiting the farm early morning or late in the evening is the best time to encounter elk. Bring your binoculars and telephoto lenses, as it is safest to view the elk from a distance, especially if you go in the fall during rutting season.
“At first light in the morning, you can see elk on the farm quite close to the road,” said Jim Gildersleeve, wildlife biologist and