Jewell Meadows

Since I never finished posting about my Portland vacation, here are some photos from day 3 when we traveled to Jewell Meadows in hopes of seeing elk. The wildflower hike that morning had been a bit of a disappointment, but we persevered, feeling in our gut that the best was yet to come.

This nice volunteer who was kind enough to spend time educating us on the elk.
He even pulled out some antlers, showing us what they're made of and their large size.
He indicated that we might have better luck on another stretch of road, but he was highly doubtful we'd see
any elk because the cows were pregnant and very skittish.

Well, looky here! When I saw a brown dot in the field I yelled at my daughter, STOPPPPP!

We pretty much kept our distance so as not to frighten them.

We never saw the males, but there were three females total and they were very gracious.

My daughter heeded my STOPPPPP orders again and pulled over so I could shoot this.
I loved that the roof was almost entirely comprised of moss. 

Portland, OR is a beautiful part of the country. I love every minute of my time there.

Camassia Natural Area

Camassia Natural Area was on our agenda for a wildflower hike on the third morning of my Portland adventure. Unfortunately, the wildflower peak had come and gone, yet I managed to find a few gems out there. If anyone can help with identification, I'd be grateful.

Coast Lotus or Witch's Teeth

Shot on ISO 6400. The only reason I can tolerate the 5D Mark II. 

Crystal Springs

Moving along with my vacation adventures, I now present to you Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Another favorite destination in Portland, I visit this magical place each time I visit. This is the only place that I can hope to get close to the wood ducks, since they are so accustomed to human activity. And of course the flowers are something else. Hope you enjoy!

Wood duck, male and female

Stellar's jay

Red-winged blackbird, female (if not, please correct me)

Stellar's Jay

The Stellar's Jay is a striking bird, closely related to the Blue Jay. It is the only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains. It was named after the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Stellar. Primarily residing in coniferous forests, they also inhabit other forested areas. Stellar's Jays are omnivores, with 2/3 of their diet consisting of plant matter and 1/3 animal matter. The nest is usually in a conifer but sometimes they use the hollow of a tree.

These shots were taken at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, OR. Unfortunately, he scampered around in a shaded area, so these are not the sharpest of shots, and the best I could do hand held at a shutter speed of 1/320, ISO 3200, f/8. The rule is to have your shutter speed at or exceeding your focal length, so I'm pleased that these came out as well as they did, considering I was using the 400mm lens fully extended. My poor daughter's Nikon pooped out on her during our visit here, throwing out a shutter error message. It will have to make a trip to the camera hospital soon. :(

The feathering appeared a lighter blue when he was puffed up.

The only shot I was able to get from his back side. So although his face is blurry, I wanted you to see the detail of the feathers.