On the fifth day of friend Dan’s visit we journeyed to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park, a few miles west of home in the heart of Beaverton, Oregon.  The 222-acre Park surrounds the confluence of Cedar Mill Creek and Beaverton Creek. It is a remarkably diverse wildlife preserve with wetlands, forests, ponds and streams. There are five miles of trails with about 1.5 miles paved and the rest well-maintained paths with wooden walkways over the wetland areas.

We did a 4.5 mile loop hike. The trails’ names tell the story – – – Oak, Creek, Old Wagon, Vine Maple, Big Fir, Cougar, Chickadee, Cedar Grove, Ash, Serviceberry, Big Pond, Trillium Loop and Ponderosa Loop. Small birds, an Oregon newt, American robins, a western gray squirrel, ducks and three deer entertained us along the way. The blacktail doe and her two yearlings were wary but allowed us to get fairly close. It’s always a pleasant surprise to spot deer in an urban environment.

Yearling and Doe Blacktail Deer

Mallard Drake

Oregon Newt on the move

Western Gray Squirrel

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (thanks Steve for the ID)

American Robin

Blacktail Doe cleaning up