Drama at the Duck Pond

Time for a few wildlife photos!

As I've mentioned in prior posts, there's a neighborhood park close to my home with a large pond.  This water body is home to all types of waterfowl.  Since ducks are there year-round, long ago my family nick-named it the "duck pond."  But not only ducks, this suburban park is home to all types of feathered fauna.

A cormorant caught a nice fish

During winter months, cormorants and pied-billed grebes dive for fish that live in the pond.  I enjoy strolling around the pond with my camera, in hopes to catch one of these birds with a fish in their beak.

Flipping his catch around

Every once and awhile I get lucky.  One day in mid-January I was watching two cormorants as they dived underwater.  After several minutes of observation, one of them came up with a good-sized bullhead in his beak.  

Catching the fish in his mouth

This was the photo op I'd been waiting for.  Training my lens on the bird, I fired off multiple shots.  The cormorant didn't eat his catch right away.  He flipped the fish around and dipped it in and out of the water.  I think he was positioning the fish for ease of swallowing.

Another cormorant tried to steal the fish

Suddenly another cormorant burst out of the water and tried to steal the fish from his buddy.

The first bird beat a hasty retreat

Lots of wing flapping and splashing ensued.  Luckily, I had my lens focused on the birds, and furiously snapped away. 

"Stay away from my lunch!"

The first cormorant tried to get away from his aggressor.  With some quick swimming moves, and a bit more flapping, he beat a hasty retreat. 

Quickly swallowing the fish 

With the second bird in hot pursuit, the cormorant had no choice but to hastily swallow his catch to prevent it from getting stolen.

An amused blue heron looks on

What a great bit of drama to capture!  I've discovered the more I visit the duck pond, the greater my chances are of catching these waterfowl in action.  

And that's not the only excitement I've recently witnessed here.  Come back for my next post and I'll share photos from another encounter with my feathered friends.

A Winter Waterfall

I love to photograph waterfalls.  Lucky for me, Northwest Oregon boasts many beautiful cascades, many just a short drive from home.  Although waterfalls make wonderful photo subjects any time of the year, I think winter is the absolute best time to capture them.

East Fork Hood River surrounded by frosty trees

Located in the Northeast foothills of Mt. Hood, Tamanawas Falls is hands down the top waterfall to visit during winter months.  Merely a 2-mile hike (or snowshoe) to reach, it's also quite accessible.

More white beauty

One late December day, I saw that the mountain had received a fresh coat of new snow.  Time for a trip to my favorite wintertime waterfall!

White trees close-up

Arriving at the trailhead, I noticed a good six inch layer of powder covering everything.  From past visits, I knew this popular winter trail often got packed solid quickly and snowshoes weren't always necessary.  However, the snow looked deep enough, and since I wasn't sure what conditions would be further up the trail, I elected to strap on my snowshoes anyway.  Better to have them than not!

Snowmen surround the Cold Spring Creek bridge

From the parking area, the trail first crossed over the East Fork of Hood River via a tall, wooden footbridge.  The trees lining the river were coated with frost, making it a most lovely scene.  Although I'd planned to head straight to the waterfall, I couldn't resist taking a few minutes to make several images of all this beauty.

Cold Spring Creek, even more lovely with snow

Beyond this first bridge, I trudged a half mile uphill before losing all that elevation, as the trail took me downhill to a crossing of Cold Spring Creek.  

Someone built snowmen on the bridge rails!

Cold Spring Creek is a gorgeous little stream, bubbling though mossy rocks, its waters an icy blue hue.  The creek bank was lined with an impressive forest of fir and cedar trees.  I always make it a point to stop here and get a few photographs.

Upstream view of Cold Spring Creek

A surprise was waiting for me.  Someone had built a dozen small snowmen at one side of the footbridge crossing Cold Spring Creek.  Not only that, three tiny snowpeople had also been perched on the bridge rails.  Seeing these cute snow creations, I couldn't help but smile.

Mother Nature's flocking

From Cold Spring Creek, I trekked onward.  As suspected, despite the prior night's snowfall, the trail was packed solid snow.  Although they provided some traction, my snowshoes were not necessary.  However, having no way to strap them to my backpack, I elected to keep snowshoes on my feet for the duration - easier to wear than carry.

First view of the falls

The trail followed Cold Spring Creek as it rushed along its snowy banks.  Powder-dusted bushes and trees lining the creek were all quite lovely.  I navigated a large rockslide slope, clambering up a very steep and slippery grade - thankful that my snowshoes provided sufficient traction.

The waterfall is surrounded by white vegetation

And just when I was starting to wonder if I'd ever reach that waterfall, I rounded a corner and there it was!  Plunging 100 feet over a tall basalt cliff at the end of a picturesque mountain valley, Tamanawas Falls was a sight for sore eyes.

Tamanawas Falls base area

The waterfall was surrounded by a forest of white-shrouded trees and bushes.  Although it had been snowing the prior evening, early winter temperatures had not been cold enough yet to form icicles from its top.  (Later in the winter these ice formations can be quite dramatic.)  But the newly fallen snow made for a gorgeous winter scene.

Looking good in white!

I shuffled up to the waterfall's base area hoping for some close up photos.  But if I got too close the cascade's spray began to freeze on my camera lens.  In the end, my best images came from further away.

More Cold Spring Creek views on the return trip

I sat, enjoyed a snack, and admired the beautiful waterfall I'd snowshoed 2 miles to see.  During that time a few other people came and went - most just snapped a few pictures before heading right back.

Snow-covered leaves

After a good hour spent photographing and generally admiring this wonderful winter scene, it was time to trek back to my car.  I clomped along the packed snow trail, feeling a bit sheepish for wearing snowshoes when nearly everyone I met were using microspikes or yaktrax.  However, I did see a few people without any kind of traction devices on their feet, and wondered how they would be able to climb that slippery slope through the rockslide area.

This fallen log gives an idea of snowfall amount

I took my time on the return trip, stopping to photograph a few interesting spots I'd noticed on the way in.  Back at the Cold Spring Creek bridge, I was disappointed to see that someone had knocked down the cute snowmen from the bridge rail.  Seems like there's always one grinch that ruins it for everyone!

Another view of the footbridge

Approaching the trailhead once again, the midday sun was now out in full force, quickly melting the morning's frost from all the tree branches.  Now I was thankful that I'd photographed the trees at the beginning of my hike.

Parting view as the snow was starting melt

It was a great morning to be outside in a winter wonderland and visit a favorite waterfall.  

Just Another Cannon Beach Sunset....

On to a bit more current happenings......

This past January NW Oregon experienced three straight weeks of dry, clear skies and sunshine.  For a climate that's normally cold and rainy in the winter, this was unheard of!  I enjoyed some beautiful sunny days on the ski slopes, and most of the sunrises and sunsets were quite spectacular.  So one day in mid-January I took a break from skiing and headed to the coast in hopes of capturing one of those great sunsets.

Seafoam on the beach

The seaside town of Cannon Beach is about an hour's drive from my home, so it's super convenient to drive down there whenever the mood strikes.  I packed up my car and was on the road by one o'clock in the afternoon.  I figured a midafternoon arrival would give me plenty of time for beach walking before the sun dropped around 5 pm. 

Quarreling shorebirds

Driving along US highway 101, which is the main north-south coastal highway through Oregon, I was about a mile or so from the Cannon Beach exit when I spotted some large animals walking across the pavement.  A herd of a dozen elk decided the vegetation looked greener on the other side of the highway and sauntered across.  Traffic ground to a screeching halt - no one wanted to hit such a large animal.  Elk are big enough to total a car (just ask my hubby, it happened to his truck 5 years ago.)

A little bird looking for lunch

The unexpected elk crossing delayed my arrival by a few minutes, but that was ok - it was cool to see such majestic animals so close up.  I'd seen photographs of an elk herd walking along Cannon Beach, right in front of the hotels, but in all my visits had never witnessed this for myself.

Waves and Terrible Tilly lighthouse

I finally pulled into the parking lot at Tolvana Beach State Recreation Site.  After switching shoes, bundling up, (the wind was cold!) and grabbing my camera gear, I headed for the beach.

Sand patterns

Usually when visiting this beach, I turn north and head towards Cannon Beach's landmark seastack - Haystack Rock.  But today, since there was still plenty of time before sunset, I decided to walk in the opposite direction.

Love is on the beach...

I came upon a group of low rocks, sitting just inside the waterline.  Seeing movement, I realized that these rocks were full of tiny seabirds.  The little birds were brown on top with white bellies.  Quick swapping to my zoom lens, I had fun trying to photograph them. The bright sunlight made exposure a bit challenging, but I managed to get a few cute images of the birds.  Once home, my bird book identified them as black-billed plovers, but when I posted some photos on Facebook, someone else said they were surfbirds.  Whatever they were, I enjoyed watching and photographing them.

Found an interesting vantage point

After my bird photography session, I headed back north towards Haystack Rock.  Although skies were sunny, the wind was biting.  Despite the cold temperatures, the beach was full of people and dogs out enjoying a brisk walk.

Driftwood scattered beach

The problem with arriving too early for sunset is that one has a bit of time to kill.  I walked past Haystack Rock and then turned around to go back.  I noticed a public wooden stairway connecting the beach to a neighborhood and decided to check it out.

Sun is starting to go down

The top of the stairs provided a nice view of Haystack Rock and the ocean.  I had to wait a few minutes for two women to finish filming themselves before I got an unobstructed vantage.  I thought about setting up and shooting sunset here, but in the end decided I wanted to be closer to the seastacks.

Glowing between two seastacks

So back down to the sand I went.  By now, the sun was finally beginning to sink.  Although my original plan was to make Haystack Rock the centerpiece of my images, two smaller seastacks to the south caught my eye.  The sun appeared to be setting in between them.

Getting close to the horizon

That would make a cool image!  So I found a good place to stand, far enough away from too many people, and waited.  As the sun sunk lower in the sky, its rays began to shine brightly between the two rocks.  I took many, many photos of the scene (lots of people walked in front of my lens) so later I had lots of images to choose from.

Day's last light reflected on the sand

Although the lowering sun lit up the sky a brilliant shade of orange, the lack of clouds made for a unspectacular sunset.  But it's always nice to be on beach and watch the day end.

An orange sky

With the sun nearly down, the wind picked up, and it was downright frigid.  As soon as the sun departed from the horizon, I packed my gear up and began the long walk back to the parking lot.  I was so focused on getting back to my warm car that I nearly missed a surprise.  Thankfully, a man walking in the opposite direction with his dog alerted me.  He said "There's a herd on elk on the beach over there."

Elk on the beach!

In the fading light I spotted a half dozen elk grazing at the edge of the beach.  One big female was sitting in the sand, her legs tucked blissfully underneath.

Right after sundown, the elk came out to browse

I thought about switching to my zoom lens, but there wasn't enough light to capture good images.  So I zoomed as much as I could with my landscape lens just to get a few photos to prove they were there.  Thanks to that man, I now can say I've seen elk on Cannon Beach!

Parting shot

Of course the only downside to capturing sunset on the beach is the drive back on a dark, winding highway through the coastal mountains.  But I'd gotten some nice sunset images and finally got to see elk on Cannon Beach, so I considered that a fair price to pay.  Hopefully I'll get back there sometime this month for another sunset, and maybe catch the elk herd again!

Return to the Ornament Trail

Back in early 2014 I discovered a special trail deep in the woods above the Columbia River Gorge.  It was a place where colorful Christmas ornaments dangled from mossy tree branches.  People kept the exact location a local secret, so after a bit of sleuthing and an exploratory trek, my friends and I were able to discover this wonderful holiday-themed path.  (You can read my first blog post about the Ornament Trail here.)

A bit of Christmas deep in the forest

I visited again in December of 2015 (see blog post here.)  Although I had grand plans to hike this trail every December, life got in the way and I didn't return the next year.  Then in September of 2017 a huge wildfire swept through the Columbia River Gorge.  Sadly, the Ornament Trail was in the fire's path.  The nearby Trails Club lodge had been damaged and two of their dormitory buildings totally destroyed, so I didn't hold out hope that the Ornament trail had survived.

Upper Multnomah Falls

Fast forward to December of 2023.  After a long recovery, most of the Gorge trails affected by the wildfire were finally open.  One of the local hiking Facebook pages reported that the Ornament Trail had been resurrected, and people were again making visits.  A friend and I decided to hike up there, but were stopped by a large landslide across the trail.  (Winter rains are not kind to the steep Gorge trails, especially in old burn areas.)  Foiled again!

Uphill through the burn zone

I forgot all about the Ornament Trail until next December rolled around.  Recent trip reports started showing up again on my Facebook feed, and I realized the trail had been repaired.  But record rainfall kept me at home most of the month.  Finally sunny weather was forecast for the last day of the year.  I rallied my friend Catherine, and she in turn invited her husband Larry.  My hubby wasn't doing anything that day, so I asked him if he wanted to tag along.

The gang

So our merry band of four departed from the Multnomah Falls parking lot, making the steep one-mile climb to the waterfall's very top via a switchbacky paved path.  Although the falls were running full from all the recent rainy weather, I didn't stop to take many photos.  A major tourist attraction, there's always a lot of people gawking, and I wasn't in the mood to dodge onlookers.  Besides, we were on a mission.

Wet crossing of Winter Creek

Beyond Multnomah Falls, we continued upward on the Larch Mountain Trail.  The first mile is very familiar to me, as it's part of the Multnomah-Wahkeena loop that I hike several times a year.  Beyond the Wahkeena Trail junction, my group continued over a wooden bridge spanning Multnomah Creek.  Black-trunked trees gave a stark reminder of the 2017 wildfire's devastation.  We passed through several slide areas where the trail had been repaired, and one place that looked like it was ready to give way.  (We crossed over that area very quickly!)

Narrow shelf above Multnomah Creek

The recent heavy rains had not only swollen Multnomah Creek, but also many side creeks that emptied into it.  One of those trickles turned torrent was a normally small seep called Winter Creek.  Today it was gushing over our trail.  My boots are waterproof, so I just splashed through.  However, none of my companions had the same level of waterproofing on their footwear.  After numerous rock-hopping attempts, and Larry's unsuccessful traverse of a very slippery log, my companions all sucked it up and waded through the torrent - all receiving wet feet for their troubles.

We found the trail again!

Beyond Winter Creek, the trail continued through a deep canyon, perched on a narrow shelf adjacent to Multnomah Creek.  In times of high water, another path detoured hikers uphill along the very top of the canyon's lip.  Arriving at the junction, my companions and I debated which direction to go.  Was the water too high to attempt the creekside trail?   Should we take the high route or roll the dice and continue along Multnomah Creek?

Lots more ornaments this time

In the end, the group consensus was to continue along the creek.  We reasoned if the water got too high, we could always backtrack.  So ahead we all forged.  At first, the water wasn't a problem.  Then we reached an area where the trail was inundated.  Catherine and Larry employed rock hopping to make it through.  I started to do the same, and then slipped on a wet boulder.  Down I went into the water, smashing my left knee on a rock.  

Surprises everywhere!

After uttering a few choice curse words, I tried to extract myself from the creek channel.  Luckily, my hubby was right behind to help pick me back up.  My left arm was soaked, and my knee throbbed.  But I was able to walk, so after making sure nothing was broken, we hurried on to catch up to Catherine and Larry.

Small bulbs hanging from a branch

After the wet walk along Multnomah Creek, our trail intersected with a road.  I remembered from past visits that we now needed to follow the road uphill to find the Ornament Trail.  Although its location had once been a big secret, I had managed to find an online map of the trails in this area which now included the Ornament Trail.  So I knew approximately how much further up the road we had to travel.

So many to see!

The map and my gps guided my friends and I to the exact spot.  Although the area had been partially cleared from the fire, spindly bushes had sprung up in the years since.  And the ornaments were back with a vengeance! 

A camper ornament!

Colorful balls hung from branches.  Whimsical ornaments dangled from trees.  Some looked a bit weather-worn, while others appeared to be quite new.  There were little surprises everywhere.

Catherine checking out a branch

We all spent time taking in the many unique and colorful ornaments.  There were many favorites - a tiny camper, a colorful angel, a nutcracker - even a mooning Santa!  I, of course, documented it all with my camera.

Ornaments in this mossy tree stump

Although it appeared the trail's beginning might have been affected by the wildfire, the rest of the forest surrounding it seemed intact.  I even spotted a couple of faded ornaments that I could've sworn were hanging around during my last visit.

Lots of ornaments deck this large tree

After exploring the trail thoroughly, we all pulled up a log in the middle and enjoyed some lunch.

Red ornament and green moss

The edge of the burn

Then, with sunlight streaming through the trees, my friends and I made one final trek through the Ornament trail before heading back downhill.

Heading back in afternoon sunlight

Rare photo of my hubby and I

I'm glad the Ornament Trail has been restored.  It's such a magical place!  Hiking up here puts one in the best of holiday spirits.

The end!

Barring any further natural disasters, I made a promise to myself that a trek to the Ornament trail will become my new December tradition.  See you next year!