Stunning Russian Gulch Headlands

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Geo: 34.14, -114.361

Got up early and went to the picnic area to fix some coffee and enjoy
the early morning view. The early morning mist was blowing off and it
was very nice. We were looking at the brids flying in and out of the
rocks down on the shore. There were some new ones we were not familar
with but had the bird book to assist us. A gentleman that walks here
regularily came up and told us there were some nesting commorants along
the edge so we decided to walk the headlands. Also I might add, we
heard the siren call of a seal barking. Started out walking and just
kept on going looking for that seal. (did eventually find some but not
right away!)

The American Oystercatchers were putting on quite a
show for us flying in and out of the waters. They have very orange
bills, feet and eyes. Look so amusing when they come in for a landing.

The
vegetation on the headlands was still damp from the mist but we were
enjoying the great variety of wildflowers that we saw. The colors and
shapes were amazing. Everywhere you looked it was a vitual bouquet of
flowers just for your enjoyment.

We walked over to the Devil's
Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave with the water continuing to pushc
through from the ocean into the grotto. You could hear the waves
booming as we looked down.
As we continued along the path, we came
to where the commorants were nesting. They were peliagic commorants as
evidenced by the crest on their head. They seemed to be precariously
perched on the side of the bluffs but amazingly seemed quite content.

Walked
back to picnic area and Jerry and Nadxli had joined us with a fruit
salad. Enjoyed that with toast, coffee and salad and then did the walk
all over again and there were flowers we had managed to miss the first
time around!

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