Coastal Visit

This was a second trip to showcase some of the interesting sites to visit close to Dallas for Mary Sites and Jaylene Wilson. The focus of this trip was the Lincoln City and Depot Bay areas.  Our first stop was the Alder Island Trail in the Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge at the south-end of Lincoln City.

The Alder Island Trail is one of our all-time favorites. A trail of less than a mile circles the island's edge giving good views to the Siletz River and connecting sloughs. Its graveled surface provides good year around access. It has a small parking lot, and no dogs are allowed.  

A quick clinic got Mary and Jaylene up and running in using the Merlin phone app, which is a free app that identifies birds by description, photo, or sound. We had a fun time identifying birds by sound and sight. I was kept busy keeping track of our observation count and attempting some photos.  You can see our Observation List here.

Great Blue Heron

Our next stop was for lunch at the nearby Pelican Brewing Company, a brand-new facility with a fantastic location right on the edge of Siletz Bay. A real treat with great food and top-notch service. They are extremely busy, do not take reservations, and the rest room is gender neutral. 

After lunch, we continued South taking in the sights of Salishan, Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area, Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint, and Depot Bay. 

Black Turnstones

Black Turnstones were a real treat to see on a bay dock.  They have just arrived this month for their winter stay from their summer nesting area in Northern Alaska.