The Beach Again

David and I went to the beach on Sunday again - originally we were going to just go check on the little house, mow the lawns and eat at La Fiesta!!!! but we drove over to Oregon Islands wayside in Bandon and spent quite a bit of time on the beach...it was windy, but warm...I snapped this picture of a Hermit Thrush below. It is a NEW BIRD for me!!!! It took me a long time to identify it when I got home. I had NO idea what it was....
update 7 15 2010 per Greg Gillson (ornithologist!)
Rather than Hermit Thrush, which is a bird of deep alpine forests, this bird is the bare ground and shore-loving Water Pipit Thin bill and white outer tail feathers discernible.

Hermit Thrush (not)... this is an American Water Pipit
American Water Pipit

Elephant Rock

Comorant flying to a cliff

Life....

The Port of Bandon

Chasing Butterflies

For the past week I have been trying to photograph butterflies and identify them. The photography in itself has been so difficult, but the "i.d.ing" of each one even harder! Luckily, on an impulse, I emailed a man who is an entomologist... a 'bug guy', and he has been so helpful in identifying them for me, or letting me know when I made the correct 'call' on one! Hah! Thank you to Dana Ross, who says he's not an expert, but I know he really is!!! So many awesome and beautiful things to see on our planet! And look what I have found in my own back yard....I will continue to be on a quest for more butterflies and MOTHS as well. I also love Dragonflies, so I'll throw a few of those into my blog when I can...so much to learn!

Coenonympha tullia - common name Ringlet

Coenonympha tullia

Hydaspe Fritillary

Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)

Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)

Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe)

Common Checkered Skipper Pyrgus communis

Common Checkered Skipper Pyrgus communis

Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus neomarsyas)

Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus neomarsyas)

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

The Rogue Umpqua Divide - Sunday

On Sunday Mickey and I had a plan to do some hiking up near Union Creek and to have Pie at Beckie's Restaurant....It turned into quite a drive, and we ended up in the North Umpqua Watershed, and we were hoping to 'do' Toketee Falls....We got there and the trail was shut down...so we visited Whitehorse Falls and Clearwater Falls....It was so worth the drive, plus seeing the beautiful spire of Mount Thielsen as well!!!! and I got my pie!!! actually I got MY pie and most of Mickey's pie too!!!!

The Rogue River - Early morning with the sun coming up over a ridge.

Ethereal - a light hazy fog sitting a-top a pasture near a beautiful pond.

Mount Thielsen - Rogue Umpqua Divide

Whitehorse Falls

Below the platform at Whtiehorse Falls. This was such a beautiful place.

There were picnic tables and trails leading down next to the falls.

A great place to bring your family or a romantic rendezvous!!!!!

Rattlesnake Rock - visible from highway 138 along the Umpqua River.

The Old Man - Also visible from highway 138, North Umpqua River Road.

Vine Maple

Above Whitehorse Falls

Mickey and I at Clearwater Falls

Taken with Mickey's IPhone at Whitehorse Falls

Mickey showing me the reproductive parts of a fern....always the TEACHER!!!

http://amerfernsoc.org/lernfrnl.html

The Sporangia are the reproductive structures of the ferns and fern allies. They are miniature sacks or capsules that produce the dustlike spores that are the "seeds" by which ferns are propagated. Several sporangia grouped together are called a Sorus. The arrangement of sporangia varies greatly in ferns. Most ferns that we would see as we walk through the forest would have their sporangia on the underside of the frond, arranged in an organized pattern usually associated with veins in the pinnule (leaf). Many times (but not always) the ferns provide a protective covering for the Sorus called an Indusium.

Hah! Well there you have it.....

Pacific Yew - The Tree that fights Cancer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_brevifolia

The creek up above Clearwater falls was soooooo peaceful and still - perfect as a reflection pond!

A little Brown Creeper - look closely

Western White Pine - Cone

Clearwater Falls

Douglas Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii

Trametes versicolor- Turkey Tail Bracket

We saw several of these, mostly ones growing on decaying Fir trees!!!!

The American Dipper aka Water Ouzel - This is one interesting little grey bird....read what Wikipedia has to say about it!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dipper

The first and last place to EAT on our stop....Beckie's Restaurant
We had a really yummy breakfast there, then stopped on the way back for PIE!!!! I had Huckleberry Pie which you can only get in season, and Mickey had Chocolate pie....well she had SOME of her chocolate pie...I ate the rest of it!!!!....and lots of BLACK coffee...mmmmmm