Nov. 24, 2013 - West Coast Trip-Part 3
Read More“It was a foggy morning along the Pacific Coast …” That sounds like the opening line of a novel, but it does describe several mornings during our stay in Bandon, Oregon. This photo was taken at low tide on the beach below the house where we stayed. At high tide, water would cover the whole beach, including the lighter area at the base of this huge rock. That doesn’t look very impressive but it’s actually about 6 feet above the sand. Diana and I think this view of the rock makes it look like a king wearing a huge hat. He’s looking to the left and has his arms folded in front of him. At the base of the rock, on the left side, is a small, lighter area. That’s a tide pool (see the next photo.)
Sometimes sand is washed away from the base of these huge rocks, forming a depression next to the rock. When the tide goes out, water remains in the depression and makes a tide pool. Interesting sea creatures, like these Giant Green Sea Anemones, live in the tide pools. The green color comes from algae growing inside the translucent flesh of the Anemone. The sticky tentacles catch prey and pass it to the mouth (in the center of the Anemone).
We visited Cape Arago State Park, just north of Bandon, and found a group of Harlequin Ducks. I made my way out among the rocks and got this photo of four males and one female. I liked the picture so much that I entered it in the monthly photo contest conducted by the Oregon birders group. It won first place and was displayed on the home page of the Oregon birders website for the month of December, 2013.
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