On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
frosty
When we were at Cannon Beach I woke up early, and having checked the tide tables at Haystack Rock the night before I knew that low tide was around 7:00 AM. Low tide means you can walk to the foot of the rock so I headed out with my camera to see what I could see. I was hoping for a Tufted Puffin because they’re only found on the Pacific Northwest Coast, and only in the Spring when they nest onshore. The rest of the year they live on the ocean.
I saw four people with scopes, binoculars, and cameras so I asked if I could join them. They pointed out a puffin hiding far up the Rock. As the morning went on, a few others came out for a fly-by, and I got a couple of pictures so it was a success! Almost as exciting as the condor – here’s a bird that only lives in one place, at one particular time, and I may never come by here again.
First sight of a Puffin!
Puffin coming in for a landing
Puffin fly-by. This was at the limit of my 18-200mm travel lens. I decided that I would need to buy something bigger if I got serious about this. (Narrator: He did, the next year)
Common Murre. There were hundreds of these guys on the Rock.
Black Oystercatcher. In flight, over the water, with a too-small zoom. This was a challenge to get any picture at all.
Pelagic Cormorant. One of many birds that I wouldn’t see in the mid-Atlantic states.
Three birds: Pelagic Cormorant, Tufted Puffin, Barn Swallow. There were hundreds of birds, dozens of species (that I didn’t even see) all over and around Haystack Rock.
Nesting Western Gull with guard Gulls
AlaskaReader
Cougar was photographed on Haystack Rock last summer. Cat was seen south of there in Nehalem also.
This spring there was a wolverine spotted in Nehalem also, just south of Cannon Beach, and was thought to be traveling south searching for a new territory, as it was spotted in a couple other farther south coast cities in the next few weeks.
Both pretty rare occurrences.
OzarkHillbilly
PUFFINS!
Rob
One day I’ll make it back to the west coast and once more see Tufted Puffins, Black Oystercatcher, and the like. Thank you, Frosty, for these photos, so I can continue to dream about the Pacific.
eclare
These are all great photos, but I have to say yay! puffins!
SteveinPHX
That’s really cool! Happy for you.
JeanneT
Sweet to see these fine feathered critters – you must have had a great time.
stinger
Great birds, and I love the surface of the water in the oystercatcher and cormorant photos.
StringOnAStick
We have explored a lot of the OR coast from the middle to the southern border, but now that I know there’s puffins, we’re going North very soon! Thanks for the photos and information.
@AlaskaReader: I had not heard of these sightings, I need to pay better attention to wildlife happenings in my adopted state!
kindness
What size new lens did you get for the camera?
WaterGirl
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Grumpy Bunny
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Grumpy Bunny
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frosty
@kindness: Sigma 100-400 Zoom. I tried a 150-600 (borrowlenses.com) but it was too heavy for me to hand-hold shooting over my head. Everything I use is compromise between weight/size and quality. I lean toward smaller and lighter.
Jim Appleton
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Jim Appleton
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