Birds Of A Feather!!

At the Oregon Coast Aquarium, there is an entire section about the birds that live both on and around the ocean.    Kept in a huge aviary with large pools of water, many breed here, increasing the population.  There are no cages so you can get up close and personal, but hold your nose.  This is stinky business.

All of these guys tend to gather with their own ... except this tufted puffin who was scarfing up all the fish.  You've probably seen these birds and many more like them in the wild, or at least smelled them at every lighthouse you've been too, since they tend nest on the nearby rocks for months at a time.

When the leftover fish were thrown in the water, they all dove in, flying across the bottom to gather up the scraps.

These common murres are the ones making all the noise.  They're pretty territorial and protective of the only baby murre.  These are the guys you see flying along the water in the later evening looking for snacks.  They spend a lot of time diving underwater for dinner.

Here's a female horned puffin sitting on a nest, which at this time has no eggs.  It looks like she got carried away with her eyeliner.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the names of all of them.  It was just too fun watching their heads whip back and forth as the volunteer wagged fish in the air.

These I do know, black oystercatchers.  They are terribly protective of the top of this particular rock and would screech every time someone walked by.  I went back and forth a couple of times, just to hear them squawk!!

If you go to the aquarium, check out the gift shop.  Purchases here benefit the creatures, so please help support them by buying something.  This little bronze octopus was kind of pricey, but you know, it's going for a good cause.

Here's a plate I've never seen before and for only $18 it will make a great cheese and cracker tray for those RV rallies I attend.  The Pacific Coast Octopus told me to buy it in exchange for all those pictures!!

I didn't buy this one, and I normally do NOT take pictures just to get ideas.  I usually write those down in my phone.  This birdhouse however, is simple enough that even I can make it, adding a few pieces of driftwood.  

When I left the aquarium, I stopped at the bakery in Nye Beach for some lunch.  This piece of spinach spanakopita was HUGE, but the spinach was bitter, making it a bad choice.  I would however recommend the lavender lemonade.  Really ... made with lavender tea instead of water, it was quite tasty and really hit the spot. 

I again trucked down to the beach to try kite flying, but the wind was over the top.  I know I asked everyone to pray for wind, but maybe a few could stop now so the wind will slow down.  The sand blowing on the beach gave me a nice skin peel for free.

Next up ... old town Newport or Lincoln City antique stores ... I'm not sure which yet.  

By the way, the ranch finally sold and my check is in my realtor's hot little hands.  We truly dodged a bullet when the buyers offered full price AS IS.  Makes you wonder though, right?  With that offer however, we didn't have to pay for any inspections, or the $8000 worth of dry rot repair, or removal of any soil from old fuel tanks, or the drilling of two new wells as required by their bank, or the septic system replacement or removal of the wood stoves, etc, etc.  I think we got a good deal!!