Perhaps the fastest growing activity on national wildlife refuges in the past ten years has been wildlife photography. That鈥檚 not surprising 鈥� the digital camera population explosion and cell phones with ever-improving picture-taking abilities are increasing the number of nature photographers at a rapid rate. You don鈥檛 need to purchase expensive equipment or have any experience to get started. A small camera or basic cell phone will do just fine for most visitors!
Tips For Photographers
Plan ahead!
Monitor community science webpages such as and to see what has been reported. Follow the Refuge social media pages like our page. You will see which wildlife species have been observed lately. You can scroll backwards to check dates and general locations. Many wildlife observers will not give exact locations to protect sensitive species.
Follow the water!
You don't even need to leave the car if you drive to Taverner's Marsh and Cackler Marsh on Coville Road. Better yet, it's even better to stay in the car and use it as a bird blind to get closer photos of wildlife!
Depending on the time of the year, you can expect to see lots of waterfowl in the water, wading birds and shorebirds on the mudflats, songbirds in the trees, dragonflies above the water, coyotes, beavers, river otters, and more! Check out our seasons of life to learn what wildlife is at the Refuge at the time of the year you are visiting.
Walk the trails!
Walk the trails from the Rich Guadagno Memorial Trail parking lot. Many songbirds and woodpeckers can be seen and heard in the oak groves along the side of the trail and at the observation platform you'll get great landscape photos of the entire Refuge. Continue through the Baskett Butte Loop trail to get better views of songbirds, photograph the tall oaks in front of you, and in the Spring or Summer you can capture stunning images of the butterflies such as the Oregon swallowtail, Fender's blue butterfly, Lorquin's admiral, and more!
Check out our trails page!
Drive the roads!
Coville Road, Smithfield Road, and Livermore Road are all great roads to stroll through. Look for the open fields where the geese are foraging, fence posts where the sparrows and meadowlarks perch, power lines where the swallows perch, and up high in the sky where the red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, bald eagles, and other raptors are soaring. Be cautious of other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, and wildlife on the road. Do NOT photograph and drive at the same time, be safe and pull over.
Follow etiquette!
- Pull way over and DO NOT stop at a curve or in the middle of the road.
- Drive slowly.
- If a car is pulled over and has binoculars or a camera sticking out the window, use extreme caution so not to startle the wildlife.
Be mindful of other drivers, especially those who live nearby, and stay off of their property.
Tips for getting the best photo!
a. Use an electronic shutter if you can, so you don't startle the birds or other wildlife.
b. Shut off your car, so the vibration doesn't blur your photos.
c. Keep an eye on the horizon or the rings of water, so your images are straight.
d. Early morning seems to be the best time to find wildlife, and twilight gives spectacular lighting. Really, though, all times of day shows beauty.
e. Be patient and enjoy the experience.
