This past Saturday, we journeyed to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon. The 635 acre wetlands is named after the Hyer Jackson family, who came to Oregon in 1854.
Back in 2020, during the COVID peak, we visited this preserve's 4.5 miles of trails and observed many wildflowers, native plants, wildlife, and birds. On this trip, we saw several native plant and flower species, herons, killdeer, swallows, deer, bunnies, and squirrels.
Jackson Bottom is a great place for bird watchers. There are over 200 species of birds on the preserve. Some species of birds can only be observed during certain times of the year, depending on their migration periods. We saw numerous Great Blue Herons on our most recent trip. Most were in flight. They are an elegant bird, and they have a very distinct call. They stalk their prey by waiting patiently and motionless then they strike their prey quickly.
Great Blue Heron |
Black-tailed Deer |