Many think about life on the Oregon Coast as idyllic. Wind-blown Shore Pines, sunny seashores, rugged rocky outcroppings, deep blue waters, and inexperienced hills typically fill tourism magazines and Instagram pages to draw guests and brag about the place you’ve got been. Shingled buildings line principal streets, and on stunning days, the sidewalks and sandy seashores are stuffed with pedestrians having fun with a quieter life and recent air away from the hustle and bustle of close by metros like Portland and Vancouver. Herds of Roosevelt Elk wander the streets within the winter and are sometimes photographed within the grassy dunes overlooking the seashores.
One particular city – er, village, is Cannon Seaside. Positioned immediately west of Portland by ninety miles or so, Cannon Seaside has attracted the eye of worldwide audiences for over a century. This group has an energetic artwork scene, world-renowned eating places and resorts, and ample pure magnificence. It’s an thrilling place to name residence as we expertise an inflow of 1000’s throughout the summers and good low season weekends. Then, it’s hushed for the rest of the yr—the typical expertise in lots of seasonally-dependent vacationer locations.
The star of the present is undoubtedly Haystack Rock, an impressive monolith that stands at a towering 235 toes. This distinctive geological formation was formed by lava flows from the Blue Mountains and Columbia Basin over fifteen million years in the past and additional sculpted by wind and water erosion. It’s a haven for nature fans, who can discover the intertidal zone throughout low tides, discovering sea slugs, sea stars, and sticky sea anemones. Haystack Rock has impressed numerous artists and made its mark in well-liked tradition, that includes in movies like The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop.
There are different guests, although, that spend their summers on our shoreline that many individuals come to see – Tufted Puffins. Nevertheless, until you understand what you’re in search of, it’s straightforward to overlook them. I frequently reply queries on the assorted Oregon Fb pages about whether or not they’re nonetheless round or have left already for the season. The puffin colony on Haystack Rock is touted as essentially the most simply viewable on the West Coast. When the tide is low sufficient, you possibly can stand on the north facet of the Rock and watch as Frequent Murres fill the air and try to pick the few puffins which are combined in. When that tide is within the morning, my birding buddy/husband and I lead birding journeys to Haystack Rock to see this spectacle. That is our third summer season providing these free strolling journeys, and we determined to start out them as so many individuals would fail to spot puffins on their go to, which is a disgrace.
Within the Eighties, the variety of people on this Tufted Puffin colony was just below 1,000, however lately, we have now barely reached 100. A lot of this issues the world’s altering local weather and fishing strain off our coast. There simply shouldn’t be the forage fish out there that the species must thrive and develop its numbers. Tufted Puffins are nice ambassadors and poster youngsters for the wants of our oceans, as birders and non-birders are inquisitive about seeing them.
On every stroll, we begin at a close-by seaside entry and wander down with whoever reveals up in the direction of the Rock. We stand a number of hundred toes again to see the highest of the Rock adequately; too shut, and the edges would obscure our view. The Tufted Puffins burrow into the several-foot-thick substrate layer that has amassed through the years of deposits from nesting birds. The perimeters of Haystack Rock are sheer and would not have that build-up, so the puffins are primarily discovered within the high third, the place it begins to slope. We encourage our members to get take a look at the Frequent Murres that often fly simply above us on their approach out to fish. Subsequent, we take a look at the puffins which are often intermixed into the flurry of birds. They’re about the identical dimension because the murres however have a strong black physique and orange invoice in comparison with the murres black-and-white ensemble. A lot of the yr, puffins and murres spend their outing within the ocean. They don’t have any use for land aside from to breed; this realization fascinates our members.
If fortunate, a number of puffins are simply noticed whereas sunning themselves outdoors their burrow. Early within the season, we frequently catch them partaking in courtship and pair bonding behaviors corresponding to allopreening and billing.
As soon as, a person was even engaged on kicking clawfuls of grime into the air because it cleaned out their burrow earlier than breeding. Because the morning goes on, the members get a lot better at differentiating between the species, however there are all the time new people who take part to see what we’re taking a look at, and we begin over again. Sometimes, a Bald Eagle from a close-by nest will come via in search of a Frequent Murre to snag, making a chaotic scene of murres fleeing to the security of the ocean.
I attempt to get guests within the Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers, and cormorants, however puffins are actually what they got here to see. Regardless, seeing everybody get pleasure from this particular chicken for so long as we have now them makes my day.
In case you are ever in my neck of the woods between April and August, please e mail me! I’d be blissful that will help you discover some puffins.