Oregon Coast, how I love you
Eli realized that I could really use a few days away from reality and so we spent the last four days on a trip to the Oregon Coast. We stayed at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in the F. Scott Fitzgerald room. One could wish the bathroom fan was a little more effective but it's a lovely room, not so much kitschy as period, with a nice view of the ocean. I'd sort of like to stay in Jane Austen one of these times, while Tolkien and Verne, though very *high* on kitsch, are cheaper and have nice little patios. I am, in short, already thinking about a return visit.
Because it really was a nice and relaxing time. The Sylvia has no phones, alarm clocks, television, or wifi; it's as primitive as can be. In previous years I think we've generally found wifi cafes while on the coast but this year I was just cut off. It was swell.
We broke the drive down not with a stop at the Van Duzer Winery (which has been customary) but instead at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The idea was to have a short break from the drive during which we could make and eat sandwiches. Instead it was close to two hours of wandering around a fabulous refuge where there were more birds than we could count, as well as mysterious mammals, turtles, and a snake sunning itself. Eli had to remind me we had an ocean waiting. There were also a lot of mosquitoes; my ankles still itch.
The coast itself was sunnier than expected on our first full day. We spent a few hours on the one-mile Estuary Trail at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and followed that up with a walk along a fishing pier from which we saw scores of cormorants nesting beneath the Newport bridge. Next we visited the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and then, yet again, walked the beach, wading in the surf, and attempted to reach the end of the jetty (I wimped out at about the two-thirds mark). It was good we spent all day Saturday enjoying the sun because the rains started around 9:00 that night and continued, on and off, until we left town this morning. This did not prevent me from finally getting myself into the water, in the misting rain, on Sunday afternoon. It was so glorious I could only kick myself for not jumping in Friday night. But not too hard; it's difficult to feel all self-condemnatory and guilty when playing with Poseidon. I almost understand the full-body baptism. (We witnessed one of those from our hotel window Saturday night.)
I toss up a handful of mostly bird photos. I may post various other photos in days to come.
First up, a pop quiz for the Master Birder Alexfandra: What bird is this? Two more, not brilliant, photos follow. (Ridgefield Natural Wildlife Refuge)
Mystery bird, Photo #2 (RNWR)
I believe this is the same mystery bird, peering out of a nesting cavity into which it flew a few times.(RNWR)
A shy song sparrow mother and child, I believe. (RNWR)
A series of tree swallow in nesting cavity images. (RNWR)
And again. (RNWR)
The beauty of close to no one looking at LJ these days? I just post these redundant photos nearly guilt-free. (RNWR)
A non-bird mystery animal. We're thinking it's a nutria. (RNWR)
We're calling this a juvenile common loon. (Yaquina River/Estuary, Newport)
No, really, it's a different tree swallow. This one is above a nesting box at the Hatfield Marine Science Center Estuary Trail.
A pigeon guillemot (YR/E,N)
Adult pelagic cormorants with, I do believe, a chick or two. (YR/E,N)
My idea of heaven
Because it really was a nice and relaxing time. The Sylvia has no phones, alarm clocks, television, or wifi; it's as primitive as can be. In previous years I think we've generally found wifi cafes while on the coast but this year I was just cut off. It was swell.
We broke the drive down not with a stop at the Van Duzer Winery (which has been customary) but instead at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The idea was to have a short break from the drive during which we could make and eat sandwiches. Instead it was close to two hours of wandering around a fabulous refuge where there were more birds than we could count, as well as mysterious mammals, turtles, and a snake sunning itself. Eli had to remind me we had an ocean waiting. There were also a lot of mosquitoes; my ankles still itch.
The coast itself was sunnier than expected on our first full day. We spent a few hours on the one-mile Estuary Trail at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and followed that up with a walk along a fishing pier from which we saw scores of cormorants nesting beneath the Newport bridge. Next we visited the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and then, yet again, walked the beach, wading in the surf, and attempted to reach the end of the jetty (I wimped out at about the two-thirds mark). It was good we spent all day Saturday enjoying the sun because the rains started around 9:00 that night and continued, on and off, until we left town this morning. This did not prevent me from finally getting myself into the water, in the misting rain, on Sunday afternoon. It was so glorious I could only kick myself for not jumping in Friday night. But not too hard; it's difficult to feel all self-condemnatory and guilty when playing with Poseidon. I almost understand the full-body baptism. (We witnessed one of those from our hotel window Saturday night.)
I toss up a handful of mostly bird photos. I may post various other photos in days to come.
First up, a pop quiz for the Master Birder Alexfandra: What bird is this? Two more, not brilliant, photos follow. (Ridgefield Natural Wildlife Refuge)
Mystery bird, Photo #2 (RNWR)
I believe this is the same mystery bird, peering out of a nesting cavity into which it flew a few times.(RNWR)
A shy song sparrow mother and child, I believe. (RNWR)
A series of tree swallow in nesting cavity images. (RNWR)
And again. (RNWR)
The beauty of close to no one looking at LJ these days? I just post these redundant photos nearly guilt-free. (RNWR)
A non-bird mystery animal. We're thinking it's a nutria. (RNWR)
We're calling this a juvenile common loon. (Yaquina River/Estuary, Newport)
No, really, it's a different tree swallow. This one is above a nesting box at the Hatfield Marine Science Center Estuary Trail.
A pigeon guillemot (YR/E,N)
Adult pelagic cormorants with, I do believe, a chick or two. (YR/E,N)
My idea of heaven