Nina Ferrari, a graduate student at Oregon State University with Professor Matthew Betts, studies birds that spend their breeding season in the canopies of tall trees. Specifically, Nina is trying to understand what factors contribute to the vertical partitioning of birds in these canopies. On a normal field day, Nina uses climbing harnesses and rope to ascend hundreds of feet into the forest canopy. She instruments each tree with recording units to document bird songs and microclimate data loggers. Over time, these data will give insights into patterns of vertical space use in birds and what contributes to those patterns (microclimate, competition, vegetation structure, etc.). Nina shares some of her favorite images from her field work, included pictures she took while high up in the forest canopy.
Scenery and nature photos 2022-2023
Alder thicket on a spring morning.
Bird's nest fungus on decaying branch.
Black bear tracks in the spring snowpack near UPLMET station.
Fragaria sp. in flower
Rubus sp. in flower
Mariposa Lily (Calochortus) on Frissell Ridge
Sunrise over a ridge from 80 meters in the canopy of an old-growth Douglas Fir.
Cauliflower fungus in Watershed 2
Coral fungus in Watershed 2
Fog and frozen alder twigs near Carpenter Mountain
Spring snowpack near Carpenter Mountain.
Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa)
Lichens growing on old-growth Douglas Fir branches.
Spring flows of Lookout Creek
Firs and Usnea in the morning fog on Lookout Mountain
Outcrop on Lookout Mountain from 50 meters up in old-growth Douglas Fir
View of Lookout Valley, looking NE from 1507 road
Forest Director, Mark Schulze climbing an old-growth Douglas Fir tree to install microclimate sensors.
Sunight beaming into the forest along the Carpenter Mountain Trail.
Mountain lion tracks in the spring snowpack near Carpenter Mountain
Rhododendron macrophyllum blooming in the understory of old-growth
Sarcosphaera fungus opening in the forest duff.
Dusk light looking east from Frissell Ridge
Snags in the morning fog on Lookout Mountain Trail.
Sunrise at a bird survey point near Saddle Creek
North, Middle, and South Sister sitting above the clouds, taken from Lookout Mountain
View of old-growth Douglas Fir from neighboring tree
Upper Lookout Valley from 80 meters in the canopy of an old-growth Douglas Fir tree.
Waterfall flowing down mossy bedrock in Watershed 2.