We're Still Here!

 It has been a long time since I've posted on our blog, and we're still living our dream although we haven't been doing much of anything new.  After a couple of months in the Coos Bay area, we moved south to Brookings, on the California border, for a summer of volunteering for US Fish & Wildlife as Marine Mammal and Bird Interpreters.  We arrived on May 1st, and have settled into a routine of showing visitors the local wildlife and doing a few programs on the weekend.

We're at Harris Beach State Park, a place we've been twice before.  Our last visit in 2017 was memorable; it was the year Brenda had heart surgery and later we had to evacuate due to the threat of a wildfire.  So far this year all our memories are positive!  Our site is surrounded by blackberry bushes, crocosmia flowers, and wax myrtle.  Hummingbirds, mostly Anna's, are frequent visitors to our feeders, so much so that I have to refill our four feeders every other day.  We're also visited on our seed feeder by Song Sparrows, Black-Capped and Chesnutt-Backed Chickadees, and the beautiful but noisy Steller's Jay.  The park furnished us with a beautiful full-hookup site in the trees.  In exchange, we teach the "Junior Ranger" (kids 6-12) on Saturday mornings and have a nature walk and amphitheater program on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Junior Rangers demonstrating the size of a Blue Whale

Harris Beach is a beautiful, tree covered park lush with plants, many of which are still flowering.  All sites are paved and most have full hooks, and many have a view of the ocean.  Each site is separated by hedges and other plants to provide privacy.  The selling point for us is the climate - temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s, with many sunny days.  It hasn't rained since mid-June and probably won't rain again until mid to late September.  Everything remains green, though, thanks to the late night/early morning marine layer that brings in heavy fog.  

This year we discovered a first - a Peregrine Falcon pair had made a nearby rock their home and produced two chicks.  This was the first time in years that they've been seen here, and their presence caused quite a stir among the birding community.  We watched as the chicks rapidly grew; soon they were practicing flying by jumping up and letting the wind keep them aloft.  The parents both brought them food - on one occasion we watched as the adult tore pieces off of a pigeon and fed the chick.  It wasn't long before they fledged, and shortly after they left the area for the summer.  Hopefully they'll be back again next year.

Peregrine Falcon Chick

Chick Being Fed by Adult

 

This year we've been spending time at Arch Rock Viewpoint, about 10 miles north of the park.  It's a beautiful place - Arch Rock is not only interesting to look at but has a number of Pelagic Cormorants on nests.  We've been watching as the chicks have hatched and been fed by the mother.  They grow fast and soon will be flying.  Along the trail to the viewpoint the ground is covered in wild Lilly of the Valley with an occasional wild Iris poking through the Lilly leaves.

We're enjoying our stay here; the weather, although cool on most days, is a wonderful alternative to the 100+ temperatures in most of the nation.  As usual, we're grateful to US Fish & Wildlife for the opportunity and for the great support.  We've met so many great people while showing them the wildlife along the coast.  We'll be here until September 1st when we'll return to the Coos Bay area for annual medical appointments.  We'll be back on our blog soon, so come back and visit!