Summer Color

Front yard daisy.

Cosmos.

More Cosmos.

Sunflowers went crazy this year...

American Goldfinch on Cosmos.  They love them in the fall.

A great summer for flowers and veggies this year.  We are just getting done with the last of our tomatoes and peppers!

I have some great wildlife shots from a couple trips this fall...so check back soon!

some late summer pics

Had some great family visits this summer...a few of my favorite pics below.  

Cousins.Barrett, Lauren, Jared, Nathan.  On the trailhead at Multnomah Falls.

Cool shot in the tunnel under Hwy 84 at Multnomah Falls.

Jared, Barrett and Lauren in a tidepool - Newport Beach.

Mom and Dad on the dock at Newport Bay.

Cousins at the "Octopus Tree".

My favorite from the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  Anchovies!

Puffin at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  He was the king of the aviary.

Mom, Dad, Glo, Becky, Nathan and Barrett all came up and hung with us for a while during our great summer.  Did a lot of driving around and checking out water falls, the coast, the mountains, a couple lakes...and our great neighborhood.  Can't wait to do it all again soon!

I'll be posting some great shots from all the family visits we've had this summer soon.  Still trying to find some time to get all the photos organized and edited! I uploaded one of my favorites for now...I think Dad enjoyed the solitude we occasionally found along the rivers and along Oregon's great coastline.  

Dad standing next to the Clackamas River.

Check back soon!

Bear Baiting 2011

I had a great time this month assisting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with their black bear study.  We went out a few weeks ago to place the baits and went back today to see if we had any takers.  We had a 50% take rate and I got a few good photos along the way!

Great view of a storm coming over the mountain.

Clackamas River.

 Evidence! Nice claw marks.

 Removing the hanger.

 Beautiful!

Check out the color of that water!

Today we saw a sooty grouse and a ton of scenery.  Don is always good company...and I hope to be back in a few weeks helping out with some elk!

I'll be posting some new stuff...so check back soon!

Spring on the Mountain

We had a great trip to Timothy Lake on Mt. Hood this week.  The weather was great and the scenery was incredible!  Great view of Mt. Hood no matter where we found ourselves on the lake.  

 Mt. Hood was always in view!

 Our great campsite...right on the water.

 SQUATCH (my Land Cruiser!) guarding our campsite.

 We ate well!!

 One of my favorite sunsets in 42 years!

 I didn't expect to see the otters on this trip...but they were out fishing for trout. These two decided to stop and pose for a photo!

 Told you they were fishing!

 After the catch.

 Not many boats on the lake...but the few that were had a lot of luck.

 Jared wanted me to shoot this...turned out great!

 Mergansers were fishing too!

 The kids had fun...we weren't ready to leave.

 The kayak has been good to us over the years...thanks Kevin! The whole family can still fit!!

Took this shot to show the mayflies on Jared's hat. They were everywhere...and the trout were hitting the surface all over the lake.

We had a really great trip and can't wait to go back. We plan on taking all the family up when they're here this summer! Timothy Lake is only one of many to choose from...they're all awesome and we plan on hitting many more before summer's up!  

I'll be posting full-size photos of all the good stuff on the website www.bradwatsonphotography.com. Check back soon...I also plan to update the blog every week or two this summer!

Have a great week!

Neighborhood Trees and Flowers

Walking around the neighborhood...crazy cool and wet June in Portland!  We're finally getting some blooms and the roses are about to pop.  Thought I'd share some flower and tree photos.

 Love all the neighbor's flower beds!

 Trees in bloom!

 Colors!

 Trees!

I'll be posting more photos from the beautiful Pacific Northwest soon!!

Brad

May in South Texas

I had a great trip to South Texas last week.  Temps were a bit warm, but still quite a bit of bird action.  I'm posting a few shots (not great quality) of a few birds I saw while driving around working.

Lots of doves on the ranch this year.  This one was just begging to have it's photo taken.

Northern Bobwhite Quail...always hanging out under the feeders.  It's been a great year for quail down south!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher...always one of my favorites!

Haven't ID'ed this bird yet.  Maybe a Least or Western Sandpiper?  A group of four stopped over for a rest in a puddle after a brief rainstorm.

Obviously not a bird...but a cool photo anyway!!

Eastern Kingbird hanging around the windmill...and the water.
  

First time seeing a Groove-billed Ani!  Very cool bird to watch in the field.

Hermit Thrush hanging out under some vegetation near the water.  Seems like most critters are already staying near the windmills due to the drought. 
                                                                        

This little Barn Owl's parents weren't too excited when I poked my head inside their hiding place.  But, he produced a nice smile for the camera!



All in all a great trip.  A lot of work done, some flying in the helicopter, and a few nice bird photos.  I'll be adding some better quality photos to the galleries in the next few days...so check back soon!  

Until next time!
Brad