Welcome Spring! We hope this newsletter finds you, your family, and friends safe and healthy. It has been an odd spring indeed due to COVID-19. Cannon Beach continues to be closed to visitors until restrictions are lifted. For nature, however, this spring is like any other. Birds are back at Haystack Rock nesting - common murres, cormorants, gulls, black oystercatchers, and tufted puffins. Even the bald eagle parents and their juvenile have been busy, looking to capture a meal among all the other birds. The cycle of nature continues on the rock, uninterrupted by people. We look forward to seeing you in the future on the beach. Until we can meet again, stay well.
And we were elated to hear that Tufted Puffins were first spotted back at Haystack Rock on April 3rd, 2020!
These iconic seabirds return to Haystack Rock each year to breed. However, their population numbers have declined dramatically and some colonies have disappeared entirely along California, Oregon, Washington, Japan, and the Gulf of Alaska coasts. All over the world puffin populations are in trouble. We look forward to the 2020 season and to see how many Tufted Puffins return and nest.