Nov. 9, 2013 - West Coast Trip-Part 1

My wife Diana and I recently took a trip to Oregon and California. We flew into Portland and stayed the first night in Salem. The next morning, I looked out the window and behind the motel was a large flock of Cackling Geese. You might be thinking “those are Canada Geese.” A few years ago, Canada Geese were split into two species. Ornithologists have always recognized at least 6 subspecies of Canada Geese and they ranged in size from 25” (about the size of a Mallard) to 45”. The larger subspecies are still called Canada Geese but the smaller ones are now called Cackling Geese.

GooseCacklinggroupSalem20131011

Cackling Geese have short, stubby bills, as you can see in this photo. There may actually be two different subspecies shown here. The one on the right looks noticeably smaller. Also, the one on the left has a white patch of feathers separating the black neck from the gray body; this is normally seen only in the Aleutian subspecies.

GooseCacklingSalem20131011

On our way to the Oregon coast, we stopped near Reedsport to see an Elk herd. This bull was a pretty impressive sight. Note the group of Starlings sitting on his back.

ElkAmericanmaleStarlingsHwyDouglasCounty20131011

Here’s part of the bull’s harem. I think he was watching over about 20 cows and calves.

ElkAmericangroupHwyDouglasCounty20131011

We rented a house in Bandon, Oregon, for nine days. This was the view from the deck of the house. It was high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I took five photos from left to right and stitched them together in Photoshop to get this panoramic view. Large rocks like those in the water are found all along the coast. Some have been given names like Elephant Rock, Face Rock, and Cat and Kittens. The names are either based on legends or just what people think the rock looks like.

PanoramaViewFloraSeaBandon20131016