Cooling off at the Coast

This is Black Oystercatcher nesting season and I've been spending two or three days each week out there monitoring nests... or something. Any excuse will do when it's hot at home. Sometimes the heat at home provides stunning beauty, though, like on July 4 when the sky provided it's own fireworks display...

 On July 13, I did my CoastWatch mile walk to Cape Kiwanda from McPhillips Park. It was in the 90s at home, 60s at the coast... perfect weather for a hike.

July 14 I stayed home. It was too hot for me but not for butterflies.

July 17 was my beached bird survey at Bob Straub Park. I photographed a banded Snowy Plover and reported it but have not yet heard where it came from. Snowy Plovers are "near threatened" with declining populations.

July 19, McPhillips Park again. Why not?

July 23, Road's End... Black Oystercatcher chick at last! (Right side of photo... little gray thing on the other side of the rock from adult)

A white-crowned sparrow watched me as I watched the oystercatchers.

...then back to McPhillips Park... did not want to go home to the heat...

July 26 I actually got Johnny to go to the coast... to meet friends in Netarts for lunch. He doesn't mind the heat like I do. After lunch, he napped and read a book in the car while I trekked down to Short Beach to look for Oystercatchers.

I found two right at the start, happily taking baths where the creek flows into the ocean.

I was surprised at the amount of erosion of the cliff since last year.

Not so much erosion at the south end, where houses are on top of the cliff and where we walk down, beside the waterfall.

Then we drove to Cape Meares. I was thrilled with this sign at one of the viewing areas...

And especially this message "to all dogs"...

Looking across to the North Toe, I heard and then saw an Oystercatcher.

I went back up to the top viewing platform, where Johnny was, and we saw an Oystercatcher foraging on the tongue of this big offshore rock, then flying to the Toe again. I suspected it was feeding an unseen chick.

On July 30 I went back to Road's End, fully expecting to see chicks... but no such luck. The pair were on the nest rock at first, but not feeding chicks. They seemed to be having an altercation with a single BLOY that was on a rock to the south. They flew back and forth screaming.

On their nest rock, foraging and preening

On the rock to the south, arguing with a 3rd BLOY and hanging out

The little rock to the right of the pyramid rock has the BLOY that was irritating the pair.

 Johnny, who had been doing lots of repair jobs at home plus helping a neighbor put in a new septic tank, left on July 31st for Seattle to confer on Kevin and Jessica's house roof plus do some other projects. He loves doing projects for the kids.

Occasionally, I stay home and get work done. On August 1st, I watered all the new trees in the arboretum. This butterfly, a Painted Lady, enjoyed the moisture I provided.

It has cooled off somewhat, but the coast and those crazy BLOY called anyway. On August 2nd, I went back to Road's End to try to figure out if the chicks were still somewhere or if the nest has failed. I did not figure it out. The adults were on a tidal rock south of their nest rock and never while I was there went to their nest rock. But it is odd that they are still in the area if their chicks are gone. I'll go back again next week... Nothing like an excuse to keep me trekking to the coast.

No chicks but the view is always wonderful...

And this day, a deer watched me watching her...