The ASLC (Audubon Society of Lincoln City) had another event today at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. It's no ordinary natural area...uh, uh...it's an Outstanding Natural Area. And it is.
Here it is, the Star of the Show, the Yaquina Head Light. First lit in 1873, it was finally automated in 1966. The lighthouse still uses its original 1868 French-made, 1st order, Fixed Fresnel lens, visible 19 miles out to sea.
And this lighthouse is a genuine star. It was used as the setting for the Moesko Island Lighthouse in the 2002 film, The Ring. It was also in an earlier film, Hysterical (1983) and The Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977 television series episode "The Mystery of Pirate's Cove".
No autographs, please.
Here's what the Light Station looked like back in the 1880s. Unfortunately, the Keeper's house and the support buildings have all been torn down.
But we weren't there for the lighthouse or the movies...we had important birding business to attend to.
And we did.
But first, introductions and then some background on the Peregrine Falcons from one of the birders, Wayne. Evidently, the two remaining fledglings left in the wild are doing well and they've relocated a bit further south down the coast. The third one, the one taken in for rehab, is doing very well, too.
The Interloper, the female that drove them away and killed one of them, is still in the area.
There was a large crew there for the walk today, over 20 hardy souls, braving the elements for a glimpse at some wild life. There was a threat of rain but we didn't get any until we were leaving and then it was just a sprinkle.
For some odd reason, I decided to wear shorts today. I are not too smart. I began to regret my decision shortly after our arrival. Hahahaha, one of these things is not like the others.
And then, as we began our walk, someone spotted....The Interloper!! She's a brassy little....uh, er, well...oh, never mind. She's not well-liked.
She came in and sat for a picture session and then took off after a couple minutes. Off to beat up kids, raze villages and terrorize the populace I suppose.
As we were walking around the rear of the Interpretive Center, someone spotted these small guys, some baby Barn Swallows, waiting for Momma to come home with some Take-Out for dinner. Hahahaha, you can sure tell where there pie-holes are.
The path leads behind the Interpretive Center and then through a tunnel under the road to the lighthouse. And once we got over to the other side of the road, we were treated to this. An explosion of Fire Weed and Mustard...with some evergreens thrown in for an accent.
And, every-so-often, a little Cow's Parsnip to break up the pattern.
While we were there for the birds, I had to acknowledge that the Yaquina Head Light was still there and couldn't be denied. In other words, I was gonna take some pictures of it. Hah!!
Hahaha, I know, this does look familiar.
Seems the Common Murres have pretty much left the area because of eagles. Bald Eagles have been coming to the area and sitting on the rocks. That would spook the murres and they'd fly away, leaving their eggs unprotected, then other birds would come and eat the eggs.
The murres have, pretty much, relocated to other parts of the coast.
Here's our leader, Mark Elliott. They bring their scopes and make them available for everyone to get a look at the nesting birds.
We walked maybe a quarter mile from the Center to the Head.
Along the way we found a family of gulls. There were a total of three babies in this nest. In the picture, one of them is hidden behind Mom while the others are to the left. One you can see pretty clearly and the other is the brown blob a little further to the left.
Fun Facts: For the Western Gull, a nest of vegetation is constructed inside the parent's territory and 3 eggs are laid. These eggs are incubated for a month. The chicks, once hatched, remain inside the territory until they have fledged. Chicks straying into the territory of another gull are liable to be killed by that territory's pair. Chick mortality is high, with on average one chick surviving to fledging.
And yet there are plenty of gulls....everywhere.
While we were walking down to the Head, someone spotted these guys out in the ocean.They were a good quarter mile off-shore. They were having some kind of paddle board race starting to the south of the Head and going around it to the north.
There were 11 to 14 of these coconuts out there paddling away....in the ocean.
I have to question the wisdom of being on a two-and-a-half foot wide by 15 foot long board way out there in the ocean.
Then, as is my wont, I was easily distracted by this fine fellow.
A small Song Sparrow, he was sitting about six feet away and let out with a beautiful song for me.
A really brassy guy, he sat for pictures for a while and then flew on over to the fence along the sidewalk. I guess he was expected some kind of pay for his song but, unfortunately, I didn't have anything to give him.
There was plenty to see today.
On the north side of the head is a small cove where we found a large number of birds.
Like this guy, a Pigeon Guillemot. I got lucky and got him yawning.
Fun Facts: Pigeon Guillemots are members of the Auk family and are endemic to the Pacific Ocean.
They breed along the rocky shores, cliffs and islands along the coast, often forming small loose colonies. They usually lay their eggs in rocky cavities near water, but will often nest in any available cavity including caves, disused burrows of other seabirds and even old bomb casing.
Pigeon Guillemots are diurnal and lay two eggs. Because they can feed their chicks constantly throughout the day, the chicks fledge faster than equivalent sized auks that are only provisioned at night.
And they have red feet.
The bright color of their feet and the lining of their mouths evidently play in important role in courtship during the breeding season.
Then some sharp-eyed birder spotted this little guy, a Wandering Tattler, way down there on the rocks. I mean, he is like 100 or so feet away. I had someone telling me where to look and I still had a lot of trouble finding him. That's why I'm always amazed that these birders can spot these little guys at all. Me? I just see rock.
Some cow's parsnip. Pretty common in this park, these can grow to 8-10' in height and are a favorite of butterfly's and ladybugs.
Extreme Close Up!!
Spotting, picture taking and talking. Things birders do well.
They are are intent. It's a good crew of people.
And I was off over by the lighthouse for a couple of shots.
Cormorants nesting.
Fun Facts: Many species of cormorants have areas of colored skin on their face (the lores and the gular skin) which can be bright blue, orange, red or yellow, typically becoming more brightly colored in the breeding season.
See the one on the nest at the bottom. Her neck is a bright blue.
Here we are on the platform behind the lighthouse overlooking the ocean. There are several large rock formations there that the birds nest on and it is on these rocks that the eagles would come and sit, scaring off the birds from their nests.
They use sighting scopes like those used by rifle marksmen...or snipers. Very powerful and very expensive.
Some more cormorants. They'll dive into the ocean for their food and then stand on a rock and spread their wings apart to dry off in the breeze.
We'd had a good time and got to see a number of birds. We also got to see some friends, meet some new folks and see the Outstanding Natural Park again. But I was getting tired and it was starting to kinda, almost, sorta drizzle...that's enough to send me scuttling for the Mini. And I did.
We were on our way out when Carol spotted these guys. I had wanted to get a picture of them and so we pulled on over for a couple shots.
We had a good time on the walk. We always do.
Then it was back to real life. Yesterday, we'd stopped by the local Freddy Meyers looking for a new couch. The one we have was given to me by my daughter, Amy, over 8 years ago. Hahaha, I got some good use from that couch.
But it's time to upgrade and here she is riding in the Mini on the way home.
And, hey!! Looking good!!
Getting broken in.
Ah, Fort Couch!! I already like you....lots.
A good day. It's always fun getting out with the birders. I would have never thought Birders could be so much fun. I'm actually, sorta, kinda, almost looking forward to the ASLC meeting this coming Tuesday. At least there will be beer so it won't be all bad, right!?! Hahahaha, I'm gonna try and keep my mouth shut so I don't get volunteered, or, as we put it in the Army, voluntold, for anything.
Bottom line, life is good.
Hooah!!
WOW ! all pictures are very nice................
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