The Audubon Society of Lincoln City (ASLC) and the City of Lincoln City have teamed up to present a number of birding field trips and today we went on one of them. The ASLC is hosting tours through the Lincoln City's Open Spaces. From what I can understand, the Open Spaces are areas that have been set aside, somehow, to keep them in their natural state. Some cities call them Green Spaces.
Hahaha, I try to listen to these peripheral conversations, but I admit I go in and out of the conversations far too quickly and far too easily to get all the facts straight. The first walk was today at the north end of NE Devils Lake Road. As I understand it, the area we walked through today was supposed to be part of a housing tract and golf course development by the Chinook Winds Casino. They got the first part in and even built some model homes and then the bottom fell out of the housing market and the money dried up before they began the rest of the development. So they had these roads going into the area and ... nothing else. It was like they built a road to nowhere. Much like our Federal Government does at times.
Our walk today started just inside the alleged development.
But before we walk, there are always the introductions. There were between 25-30 people for today's walk and so the intros were brief. And far too many for me to remember.
Once again, we had a friendly group. Because of the large number for today's walk, they decided to split us into two groups. The idea was that two smaller groups would be more manageable and less intrusive and wouldn't scare away the birds. It was a good idea but trying to keep birders together in a group is closely akin to herding cats ... ain't gonna happen.
Hahahaha, you'll see. We started out in two groups and then sorta morphed into one, very long, elongated semi-group.
And just like previous outings, the group flowed in and out and I had the opportunity to meet and talk with a number of different folks. And that's a big part of the fun for Carol and I.
And just so everyone gets the right idea about me and my reason for being there, I tell them now that I am a 'birder by association'. I'm there mostly because of Carol, that's my excuse. I say mostly because, honestly, I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would.
Hahaha, what's not to enjoy? I get out, spend time with Carol, meet interesting new people and see new places. And I get a guide to do it all!! But I admit my joy is found in photography rather than birding. I'm there to get a couple of pictures.
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!
Today I could hear the birds but I didn't really see too many of them. We walked through a heavily forested area and the tree canopy was pretty heavy and very, very tall and so visibility looking up was limited.
But looking down was great. There were a lot of these beauties floating around all over the place.
Hahaha, I almost started feeling guilty because I was shooting down more than I was looking up. I was more caught up with the passing scenery as we meandered through the Open Space than I was with trying to find some birds. Mostly, you needed a pair of binoculars to see any avian life and I was too lazy to do that ... especially given all the easy to see opportunities I had at ground level.
Carol and I were in the first group and our progress was very slow as we wandered along the trail we were taking towards the beach. There's the second group, back there, catching up to us.
And the further we went along this road to nowhere, the closer we came together and the more we transformed into one long semi-group of individuals with a common purpose.
And it was fun because you could walk over here and get into a good conversation with some folks and then move over there and join into another small group. And while the talk moved around birds, it wasn't all that was being talked about.
Hahaha, if you want to have a good time, meet new people, see new things and get some exercise then you need to hook up with some birders.
Carol can move so easily into any group. I admire that about her. I sorta stand on the edges and listen in but she jumps right into the pool and begins splashing about with the other kids. She's fearless in that regard where I'm more reserved and tentative.
We did see some birds. I didn't see many but maybe it's just because I was more focused on looking down and around rather than up and about. But I did get to see this fellow sitting waaaay up high at the very top of a tall evergreen.
We went along the road to nowhere for almost a mile and then took off down a path through the forest towards the beach.
And there were a lot of wildflowers there for us to enjoy.
Hahaha, if only I were as limber and as agile as I once was, I'd be able to get down lower and get better pictures of these tiny beauties. I do love the macro feature on my cameras.
Hahaha, don't ask me. I don't know what it is, either. I just liked it so I shot it. Mind, this could fit easily onto a dime.
Hahaha, again, I don't know. Kinda scary when you get up close to it, though.
Now this isn't scary. What beauty there is all around when you take the time to really look.
Doesn't this flower look like plastic? Carol particularly likes being able to see the pollen on the petals.
You could fit one of these inside a dime also.
And it was just as interesting looking up as it was looking down. Hahaha, but I've told you before, when I look up too long I tend to fall over. Almost every time.
These beauties were also extremely small.
Somehow in my ramblings through the Internet I downloaded a new version of iPhoto and I'm not happy with it at all. I am finding I dislike the process of change. The older I get the more content I am with having things remain the same. This process of taking the known and comfortable and replacing it with the New & Improved is disconcerting and difficult for me.
So I have this new version and now I'm forced to adapt to it, to learn it and I'm not doing all that well with it. One of my main complaints is that I can't control the colors as I used to. My pictures lately all seem to have too greenish of a hue and I can't figure out, with this new iPhoto thingie, how to tame down the color like I used to be able to.
Frustrating.
There was a stream running alongside us as we headed through the forest. Eventually it emptied into a large open pond with a lot of marsh grass (?) and fallen trees. It used to empty into the ocean but back in the 50s they did some fiddlin' with the area during some kind of development and blocked it up.
Me getting all artsy-fartsy in the marsh.
And the country we were walking through changed again. Heavy forest to wetlands to grassy areas. Hahaha, this walk had it all. This part of the area was solid iris.
And somewhere in there were the elusive birds we were seeking. Hahaha, it's OK, I'll admit it, I am way too lazy and far too impatient to be a good birder. I want it now and I want to be able to see it without having to move more than a step or two to the left or to the right.
We did get to see a lot of these Redwing Blackbirds. They were all over the wetlands but mostly they were moving along from here to there. I finally got my wish, these guys were there and I didn't have to move but a step or two to be able to get this shot.
Ahhhh, birding nirvana.
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| Smile!! |
The walk we were on today started out in the woods and ended up on the beach. We were back at Roads End where we had been just a couple days ago.
But I learned today that the rock that sits out just beyond Cascade Head is called Polly Rock. Evidently polly is a slang word for bird poop and they gave the rock that name because a lot of the time it appears to be white from all the bird poop on it.
And we also learned that in a week or two the low tide will be at its lowest and we'll be able to walk around the cape to a beautiful beach on the other side ... and there is a cave over there. Hahahaha, 'nuff said!! We'll be there!!
Evidently this phenomena only happens a couple times a year. Hahaha, always learning.
After a short stay at the park and a very much appreciated visit to the facilities, Carol and I began making our way back to the Mini.
We still had places to go today. The other day I had read that the VFW in Bay City was holding a Crafts & Plants Fair today and thought we might enjoy the drive up there and help out the VFW a bit.
So we turned back towards the way we had come and struck out.
And then Ol' Eagle-Eye Schubert spotted this tiny fellow sitting up high on a wire.
FYI, to give you some perspective so you can understand how tiny this guy was, he's sitting on a power line strung between two poles. And the line just isn't that thick, y'all!!
(Another note of thanks to having a powerful zoom built into these cameras.)
A Fiddle Head. When we went on our hike with the Photo Shoot Meet-Up, one of the guys was trying to find some Fiddle Heads to shoot. He should have been with us today as this area was chock full of 'em.
I was really rocking it with the flower pictures. Heck, it's spring!! What'dya think I was gonna shoot?
And still, I could hear more birds than I was seeing. But I wasn't looking all that hard. And it's odd, usually I can't hear the birds singing but today I sure enough heard them.
I only saw this one but it was a broad leaf plant that was somehow decked out in this riot of color.
And I tried for the bird shots. But they weren't too cooperative. There's another Redwing Blackbird in there somewhere, Can you find him?
This was the road that ran alongside the wetlands. It soon turns into a path through the woods and then we'll be back on the road to nowhere.
And when we hit the path, we almost hit this guy.
A rather large Banana Slug.
And more irises. Man, they were all over today.
And soon we were back to the Mini and on our way north to Bay City. The VFW there was holding a money raiser and so we thought we'd motor on up, drop a couple bucks, help out a good cause, enjoy a ride along the coast and have some fun.
And I know this will come as no surprise, but Mission Totally Accomplished.
The event was being held in the Bay City City Hall. Which also includes in the same building the City Library. And the VFW. And the Community Center. And ... ad infinitum.
Love Small Town America.
And here it is. Just the right size for a small town.
Hahaha, I'll stick to Irish Spring.
And real tuna ... from Spain. Don't ask. I don't know. Evidently it's some kind of big deal.
I just thought it interesting because of the design on the can plus, the tuna reminds me of my high school, Arroyo.
Plus some pure honey and some organic fruit sodas.
The prices were right. Carol got this spider plant for just .50 cents.
My kinda price!!
Plus she found a locket for her necklace.
Very nice.
Me? I got lunch. A hot dog and Fritos. Mmmmmmm.
And a scone with chocolate chips, too. Hahaha, I was in high cotton.
Carol took a moment to enjoy her scone and the quiet outside the city hall and library.
Hahaha, it works. Everything rolled into one building. The entrance to the library is in the door on the left.
I was curious so I stepped into the library for a look-see. Just to the right I saw a sign for the restrooms so, remembering that sage advice to never, ever, pass up an opportunity to use the necessary while traveling, I went for it.
I was mildly surprised when the door led from the library back to the Community Hall/City Hall and the restrooms there. Hahaha, when you're working with a limited budget you get creative. Oh, by the way, the whole time I was there I never saw anyone who might appear to be working there in the library. Couldn't do that in the big city.
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| Hola? |
Nicely done, Bay City. Nicely done.
From Bay City, we drove up a bit further towards Rockaway Beach. I've heard about this place from several people. They told me about how they used to vacation there with their parents when they were younger and how much fun they had there.
I mention this to say that I was expecting a bit more than what I saw. Bottom line was, I was unimpressed. I guess I was expecting something like you might see in Florida. Manicured lawns and sweeping roads (without potholes). I much prefer LCO.
We just turned, at random, from 101 towards the beach and drove through a residential area. Pretty much how all the secondary roads we saw looked.
But they had beach accesses and so we stopped at one.
Looking south ...
... and looking north. I do like the beach grass.
The path down to the beach from the parking area.
Reaching out with the zoom to get a closer look at the rock formation to the south.
Hahaha, they even have a kite flying festival. Pretenders. Everyone knows LCO is the Kite Flying Capital of the World. Everyone.
It was a good-looking day and the wind was manageable.
Hey!! C'Mon!! The grass was there and it made a good frame.
After the beach, we drove down the residential streets and, like I said, we were unimpressed.
Rockaway Beach is extremely long ... and narrow. But they do know which side of the bread their butter is on and they work the tourist angle hard.
This guy sells ... bird houses. But I do like the color scheme of his big bird house.
Heading back south from Rockaway, we stopped at a small city park near the entrance to the bay that gives Bay City its name.
And we saw some rock formations further down the coast.
Not a very user-friendly beach.
But there was a lot of boat traffic moving in and out of the bay.
And fishing. A lot of fishing.
Back on the road again, I pulled over near the rock formations we had seen earlier so we could get a closer look. To get there we had to cross over the old rail line that paralleled the bay. Hard to imagine now what a great thing these rails were to the development of these communities and to improving the lives of everyone along the line.
Doesn't appear these rails have been used much lately.
OK, there's a semi-long story here so stay with me.
We crossed the tracks and we were looking around and I'm getting some pictures when Carol excitedly points to a float ... floating in the water along the shore.
Now even without being told I know how keen she is to have that float. It'll go with the other plastic ball floats we have in the front of the house. So I know this and I take the measure of the climb down, the direction of the float and my own meager abilities and ... I decided to climb down and get it for my girl.
Hahaha, I felt like a teenage boy showing off for his girlfriend. I also felt a little foolish. And at the very end I felt my age. Keenly.
I wish I could say I went down those rocks leaping nimbly from one to another and was back up with my trophy in hand in about two or three minutes but I'd be lying. Big time.
I made my way down slowly and carefully always keeping in the back of my mind how difficult it would be for the EMTs to get me out of there if I broke my leg. And that, dear readers, was a very real and distinct possibility.
Carol, up on the path cheering her hero along was able to get a couple of pictures as I fulfilled my quest. To help you find me as I leaped from rock to rock like an arthritic old mountain goat I put in an arrow pointing me out.
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| CB |
And only four minutes elapsed from the previous picture to this one. I was moving along at a brisk, but safe, clip.
Hahaha, no, I wasn't.
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| CB |
And Carol got this picture of her hero with his trophy.
That look on my face ... that's the look of pure relief that I didn't break my leg down there. It would have been exceedingly difficult for the EMTs to haul my rather ponderous fat ass up those rocks.
Ah, the things I do.
Oh, and I got photo-bombed!!
Can you see them? The two gulls just over my left shoulder?
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| CB |
Here they are, Cheech and Chong.
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| Hey, Man, got any spare change? Or a bite to eat? |
Feeling some great relief to still be whole and uninjured, I kept on taking pictures.
A close-up of the gulls from the previous picture. Precarious perch.
Time to head back to the Mini and head for home.
Heading down the highway just outside Bay City.
And we stopped at the Super Mart in Cloverdale. This is where I bought my Big Money Lottery Ticket. Hahaha, when I collect my money, I'll hire someone to climb down the rocks to get the float.
Oh, and see that restaurant just behind the exciting action figures? The Dory?
That restaurant was the only commercial building in Roads End. Unfortunately it burned down about five years ago and when the owners rebuilt, they relocated it here, in Cloverdale, rather than Roads End because the good folks out in Roads End outlawed all commercial building in that area. Once it was gone, baby, it was gone for good.
And so we put this day away. It was a good one.
I enjoyed the bird walk and we're both looking forward to the next one on the 21st of this month. It's a great way to see new places, meet new people and learn a little bit more about birds.
Plus we got to take another drive along the coast up to Bay City. Not a lot up there in Bay City, population 1,286 at the 2010 census, but we did help out the VFW a bit and we got a small mini-adventure when we found that float.
All in all, a very good day.
Life is good.
Hooah!!
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