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INTRODUCING SUCCESSFUL WOMEN 2023 INSIDE
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Successful | Non-profit Business | Civic h coast en of the nort Celebrating wom e in our communities renc who make a diffe
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• Carolyn Decker Tillamook School Board eier, Commissioner • Kris Lachenm Tillamook County • Mary Faith Bell, Port of Tillamook Bay • Michele Bradley, k County Commissioner t • Erin Skaar, Tillamoo Zwald Transpor of NCLC • Heather Taksdal, Executive Director • Katie Vokelke, Director of HRAP • Kelli Ennis, Collective EOL Coast • North Garibaldi Charters • Tamara Mautner,& Fest • Neskowin Farm
VOL. 47, ISSUE 16
Citizen North Coast
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AUGUST 4, 2023
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An Experience of Elusive Wildness
Cougar on Haystack Rock • PHOTOS BY ANDY WOO PHOTOGRAPHY By DEB ATIYEH
“W
e need the tonic of wildness...at the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild. We can never have enough of nature” Henry David Thoreau On Sunday morning July 16th, two photographers arrived early at Haystack Rock to take photos of puffins and were surprised by the sudden appearance of a cougar on the north side of the iconic rock. These photographers happened to be at the right place at the right time. It was a moment that few of us would have been aware of
without seeing their incredible photos, and these two photographers enabled the world to see a cougar on Haystack Rock. Photographer Andy Woo said that “we came for the Tufted Puffins but stayed for the cougar. I can’t help but think that the cougar also came for the puffins but ended up stuck because of the humans. As soon as we arrived at Haystack Rock we noticed something on the rock that wasn’t a bird. At the same time, another photographer (Khula Makhalira) came up to us and told us he thought he saw a mountain lion on the rock. Once I realized what we were looking at, I still couldn’t believe what we were seeing. I think the
cougar was just as surprised, and even startled. As soon as it realized that it was being watched by the three of us it shrunk back into the shadows and tried to leave the rock by swimming through the surf. It soon gave up on that idea and returned to the rock, disappearing onto the other side away from the humans on the beach.” The cougar story was quickly posted on social media. The presence of a large charismatic apex predator, that the vast majority of people have never seen in the wild, spending the day on one of the most iconic landmarks in Oregon sparked the interest of local, regional and national media. People love wildlife and were captivated
by the news of the cougar. Faces lit up when they saw the photos. People responded with “how cool” and “that is amazing”; with many in silent awe as they contemplated the presence of a large elusive cat that symbolizes wildness. Cougars are secretive and normally avoid highly visible locations in the presence of humans. The cougar slipped away from Haystack Rock under the cover of darkness and the next day a cougar with an injured leg was spotted in the Ecola Creek area. Some Native American tribes say the cougar walks in moccasins that no one can hear and is a symbol of secrecy, while many believe the cougar serves as a
guide that helps you on your spiritual journey. Members of the Cherokee Nation revered the cougar (Klandagi), with the owl and cougar the only animals to reach the seventh highest level of purity and sacredness. The Navajo named the cougar Nashdoitsoh, who was a protector and guide. The Zuni and Hopi tell stories of a guardian spirit named Toho who takes the form of a mountain lion and provides protection and good luck. The Hopi see the cougar as a powerful and sacred being; as the strongest and most fearless hunter as well as a protector of the tribe. The ancient Incas viewed the puma (cougar) as a doorway between worlds. We are blessed to live in
a place like Cannon Beach where one can explore nature and find wild beauty everywhere. Seeing a herd of elk, hundreds of nesting birds on offshore rocks or a glorious sunset over the ocean gives many people a sense of wonder. Thank you Khula Makhalira and Andy Woo for sharing the magic of that morning. “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear”. Henry Beston: The Outermost House
Coastal Birds Face a Growing Threat By ALLISON ANHOLT Coastal Community Science Biologist for Portland Audubon
O
regon Coast beaches show many seasonal trends. In the spring, breeding birds seeking safe, quiet places with abundant food resources return to the coast to nest and raise young on the sand and rocks, beginning breeding in April or
May and ending in August. Among these are birds that many Oregonians, even those that don’t identify as birders, know and love: artwork all over coastal towns depicts the Tufted Puffin, Common Murres gather in massive nesting colonies that are easy to view, and Black Oystercatchers have such loud voices you can’t help but notice them. But other species depend on our beaches
Black Oystercatcher Hatching PHOTO BY ALLISON ANHOLT
and aren’t so easy to notice. For example, threatened Snowy Plovers are perfectly adapted to spending their entire lives in the narrow stretch between the high-tide line and the dunes on open, sandy beaches. After Memorial Day, the Oregon Coast sees another seasonal trend. Vacation season kicks off smack dab in the middle of
the breeding season for these birds, at a very vulnerable time, when eggs and chicks are most subject to disturbance by people. Disturbance means the action of intentionally or unintentionally keeping birds away from their nests or chicks. Forms of disturbance include tidepooling; flying drones, kites, or paragliders; bringing dogs to the beach; or even hiking in the sand in the wrong spot—basically, a lot of the fun things we like to do at the beach. The vulnerable birds that use our coastline have evolved over thousands of years to deal with the hazards of near-constant wind, rip tides and storm surges, hot and cold weather, and predators stealing eggs and young. Only in the last century have they had to deal with a high volume of people recreating directly within their nesting areas. To a bird, a dog mimics a coyote, a natural predator.
Kites or drones remind them vaguely of aerial predators like Peregrine Falcons or Great Horned Owls. Vehicles driving on beaches become an extra hazard to sandnesting birds like Snowy Plovers because the chicks can fall into tire tracks and often can’t scramble out fast enough to avoid another vehicle. Even less active forms of recreation such as tide-pooling or hiking in nesting areas can result in nest failures. Nests are well camouflaged, speckled eggs and chicks can be near invisible, and thus all are at risk of accidental trampling. In addition to the risk of injuring or killing an adult, chick, or nest, with these actions, disturbance takes a more insidious form. When presented with disturbance, birds will initiate a fight-orflight response—they may fly or walk away from their nest, hoping that camouflage prevents the nest from being spotted, or they may perform elaborate distraction displays in an effort to lure the perceived predator away from the nest or brood of chicks.
Either response takes energy and attention, which allows “real” predators access to the eggs or chicks. Crows, ravens, and gulls in particular are extremely intelligent and readily take advantage of an easy meal. Nearly two-thirds of all nests monitored in our Snowy Plover Patrol program fail due to predation, even on beaches with relatively few people. Too many disturbance interactions can cause entire colonies of seabirds like Common Murres to collapse, or fail, for the breeding season. This can have not only immediate impacts, but long-term consequences for the entire population. Because the height of the breeding season coincides with the busiest tourist season, we have an obligation to share the beach. We have a right to enjoy vacations with our families, just as these birds have a right to raise their families. So how can we all successfully use the same space? • Obey Signage and Posted Rules: Fortunately for SEE COASTAL BIRDS PAGE A4