NATURE CLICKS #571 - COMMON MURRE (FIRST SIGHTING)

Common Murres, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, near Newport, Oregon

Our trip to the coast of Oregon was still a little too early for a big deal of bird photography. Nevertheless, we had a few good encounters and some of them were first sightings for us. The Common Murre nests on sea cliffs above the ocean and we found them on the cliffs at Yaquina Head Light, north of Newport, OR. During breeding season they lay one egg directly on a ledge without adding nesting material. The Common Murres feed mostly on fish, squid, or octopus and catch their prey in the bill during deep dives. They use their wings for propelling themselves and can remain underwater for up to one minute. These birds look a little bit like penguins with their tuxedoed look, but they are relatives of auks and puffins.

I had plenty of images already on the memory card when suddenly this flock took off and moved to a different cliff below the lighthouse in the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 850 mm, 1/5000 s, f/9, ISO 1250

TEMPERATE RAINFOREST, GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head  @ 70 mm, 0.5 s, f/14, ISO 100

The landscapes along the coast of the Pacific Northwest have many things to offer for nature lovers and photographers in particular. From sandy beaches to sea stacks, the big rocks standing in the water, to a great variety of birds and sea animals. I’m always fascinated by the temperate rainforests along the coast with their gigantic trees and lush vegetation, including ferns, moss, and lichens that cover much of the forest. After a winter in the Midwest this green environment is good for the soul!

Munson Creek Waterfall, near Tillamook, Oregon

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head  @ 70 mm, 1/30 s, f/13, ISO 100

We drove a few miles inwards to see Munson Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall along the Oregon coast range (319 feet / 97 m), which is surrounded by beautiful forest. Due to a road closure we hiked a little longer as planned to get to this waterfall but every bend in the trail revealed new and interesting views. Very little light hits the bottom of the valley and it doesn’t require a neutral density filter to show some motion in the flowing water of the waterfall or Munson Creek. A tripod is of course recommended for such photos.

A CLASSIC VIEW

Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock, Ecola State Park, Oregon

This classic view from Ecola Point down to Cannon Beach, with the iconic Haystack Rock in the back, has been on my list of locations I like to visit since a long time. I’m glad we did it in the afternoon a couple days ago because the evening sky was filled with nothing but gray clouds again later in the day.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @ 36 mm, 1,6 s, f/10, ISO 100

REFLECTIONS AT LOW TIDE

Reflections at low tide in Rockaway Beach, Oregon

On our first day traveling along the coast of Oregon we scouted and explored the northern part and finally unpacked our luggage in Rockaway Beach, a small but somehow charming community. During a short walk at low tide on the beach we finally saw the sun and lots of color replaced the gray that made most of the day. What a photo can’t transmit is the smell of the ocean, but I hope you get the idea that we had a marvelous time. Fresh cod and other seafood, combined with a local India Pale Ale, are hard to beat for a dinner that followed this walk on the beach… 😊

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 40 mm, 1/400 s, f/10, ISO 200

MEMORABLE MOMENT

Double rainbow above North Portland Harbor, Columbia River between Washington and Oregon

There is no better way to start a spring vacation at the coast of Oregon than with a photo of a double rainbow and some killer light on the house boats across the Columbia River in Portland, OR. We were eating dinner and enjoyed a good West Coast beer in the restaurant of our hotel last night when this act of nature unfolded, just outside of the window. We dropped fork and knife immediately and ran out onto the hotel terrace with the camera in hand. Other people saw obviously the potential for a good shot with their cell phones and followed us shortly after, and even our waitress stepped outside and enjoyed the play of light.

The warm colors of the houses in the setting sun on Tomahawk Island in the Columbia River would have been a great subject by themselves, but the two rainbows after a mostly rainy gray day made it a memorable moment… More to come, so please stay tuned.