The pathways leading to the lighthouse have some wonderful overlooks onto the rocks surrounding the head. One of the first bird species we spotted was a new lifer for me: Surf Scoters.
I wish we had a spotting scope along with us to get a better look, but we had to be content with the view from our binoculars.
Cormorants were in abundance, nesting on the rock faces.
Most of the cormorants were Pelagic and Brandt's. There were also some double-crested ones mixed in.
Cormorants and Common Murres dominated the tops of the rocks.
A better look at the surf scoters.
Another life bird - the Black Oystercatcher.
There were two of these working the rock around Yaquina head.
The Oregon coast is certainly scenic.
Gigi, doing some birding.
All the rock is white with bird guano.
Ahhhhh - I love this kind of scenery.
Most people come to this place to view the lighthouse. There aren't as many birders as tourists, but, since we were already here, we did take in the lighthouse as well. My Mom and Dad were with us, but didn't attempt the climb to the top. Steve, Meghan, Dennis, Gigi and I all climbed up to the top to see the view from there.
It's a beautiful lighthouse. The steps to the top are fun to climb, too.
If you climb to the top, you get a button to commemorate the feat.
The view is pretty spectacular, but it is a bit warm up there in the light tower when the sun is shining.
Here's the light mechanism.
That's my mom. Some of the woodturners reading this blog have heard me talk about my mom's influence on my artistic development.
Mom is now 81 and has some short-term memory loss. She still has strong opinions about things, but sometimes she forgets what she's said about something 10 minutes ago or so. That means you get to hear her opinion again (and again, and again. . .). That's ok - she's a character who's worth knowing, and we had fun teasing her about the gingerbread cookies. ("I don't like them. . .")
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