Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon

Posted on Saturday, Jun 30, 2012

April 21-22, 2012

One of the first trips we took in our camper was a January 2005 expedition to the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex. We had a great time among the largest concentration of bald eagles and other raptors in the lower 48 states. It took another 8 years before we got around to exploring the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, 150 miles to our east. Once we did we wondered why we had waited so long.

We were actually here a few weeks past the peak of activity along this section of the Pacific flyway but there were plenty of birds nonetheless. Even for a non-birder like myself, it was impossible not to be impressed by the sheer variety and number of birds that could be found in and around the refuge. In fact, more birds can be found outside the refuge than in it at this time of year.

The only thing more abundant than birds were insects. We saw (and drove through) billowing clouds of them. Fortunately, none of them bit; they were strictly flying food. It is easy to see why insect-loving birds would be attracted to the area. Yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds could be seen everywhere performing aerial manuevers as they plucked insects out of the air. As they paused to rest on a reed or a fencepost they would look up at all the insects and call out as if overwhelmed by the abundance.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2012 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse: Ecola State Park, Oregon

Posted on Saturday, Jun 23, 2012

Friday, August 5, 2011

When lighthouses were being built along the coast of Oregon, this section of coastline proved to be a problem. Tillamook Head was a natural choice if not for the fact that it was 1,000 feet above the ocean and shrouded in fog most of the time. An engineer noticed Tillamook Rock, a mile out into the ocean, and decided it would make a good location. Locals thought he was crazy but a surveyor was sent to the rock to check it out. He stepped out of the boat and onto the rock. He then slipped off of the rock and into the ocean, where he promptly drowned.

Nevertheless, the project moved forward—though none of the local craftsmen would work on the rock. Workers unfamiliar with the area were brought in and sequestered from the local community until they could be transported out to the work site. It took them nearly eight months to level off the top of the rock. During this time, storms continually battered the rock, at one point destroying nearly every structure on it while washing all tools and supplies out to sea. The workers went without food for sixteen days.

The lighthouse was eventually completed and soon after became known as Terrible Tilly. Winter storms regularly flooded the structure. Its fresnel lens was lost when a particularly bad storm tossed a massive boulder up through the lantern room. The same storm pulled out iron bolts anchored three feet into the rock. Terrible Tilly remained in service for 77 years.

The Tillamook Rock lighthouse was most recently owned by a group of investors who turned it into Eternity at Sea Columbarium, a place to store one’s ashes after passing away. Given the lighthouse’s history, the owners advise that one’s second choice better be burial at sea. Eternity at Sea is reportedly no longer in operation though there are still a small number of urns on the site, which is also a protected bird sanctuary.

The best place to see the lighthouse is from one of several viewpoints at Ecola State Park, just north of Cannon Beach, Oregon.

[Click on the image to view it larger.]

©2012 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Posted on Saturday, Jun 16, 2012

Friday, August 5, 2011

Cannon Beach is one of the more photogenic beaches along Oregon’s northern coast. It is a classic crescent-shaped beach with sea stacks offshore that offer an additional element of interest from a photographic perspective. The best overall view of Cannon Beach is actually from neighboring Ecola State Park. We opted for a leisurely walk along the beach instead, where Lewis practiced writing in the sand and smoked Mimi in a couple foot races. I guess that last part wasn’t so leisurely—at least not for Mimi.

Oregon’s northern coastline, beginning just south of Newport, is noticeably different from its coastline to the south. It is more crowded, more expensive, more developed, and more tourist-oriented. There are outlet malls, amusement parks, and larger cities. There is also more history (e.g., Lewis and Clark). The southern coastline is rugged and dramatic, more scenic, and quiet. We all preferred the southern coast. I guess we’re more national park types than Disneyland types. This is not to suggest we didn’t enjoy ourselves as we traveled north.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2012 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Sunset: Heceta Head, Oregon

Posted on Saturday, Jun 9, 2012

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

In 2010, we spent a week exploring the Oregon coast. We had such a good time that we invited my parents to join us on a similar trip in 2011—which they did. Heceta Head and the Heceta Lighthouse were highlights of that first trip despite the fact that when we pulled up to the viewpoint used to shoot the first image in this post we could see nothing but thick gray fog.

Our expectations were even lower for this second visit and it had nothing to do with weather. The Heceta Lighthouse was scheduled for a multi-year makeover that would restore it to its former glory. Scaffolding was supposed to go up the day before we arrived. We were all surprised and delighted when we arrived to discover that the start of the project had been delayed for several weeks. Heceta is easily the most beautiful lighthouse on the Oregon coast—not because of the lighthouse itself but because of its setting—and I was glad my parents would get to see it before it was wrapped in plastic sheeting.

Lewis, Mimi and Papa T walked up the quarter mile trail to the lighthouse to enjoy the sunset. I walked with them but, after getting up to the top, decided that I’d rather shoot from the shore of Heceta Bay below. I returned down the trail and set up on the beach to capture the second image.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2012 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Minus Tide: Bandon Beach, Oregon

Posted on Saturday, Jun 2, 2012

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Minus tides are extremely low tides, tides that expose areas which are normally submerged even during a normal low tide. Surfers and tide poolers watch for minus tides; photographers should too.

This minus tide found us on Bandon Beach in the early morning of what would be a beautiful day. (Regular readers may recall that that I’ve written about Bandon Beach several times before. The myriad of sea stacks offshore make this my favorite beach on the Oregon coast.) The light fog that moved onshore during the night had not yet burned off, imparting a soft ethereal look to the landscape. And this minus tide occurred early enough in the morning that the beach was largely deserted and wiped free of tracks by the extreme high tide that always accompanies a minus tide.

Minus tides coincide with a full moon or a new moon so if you would like to plan a trip to your favorite beach during a minus tide consult a lunar calendar and then the appropriate tide table to determine when you need to arrive. I would suggest arriving early—as the tide is going out—to maximize the time available for exploration. Finally, remember that not all minus tides occur during daylight hours.

Additional images:
Sea Stacks in the Fog
Sculptures in Stone
Covered in Kelp
Incoming Tide

[Click on the featured image or any of the links above to view the five-image gallery.]

©2012 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.