(+5 insets!) (view large to see the pretty details!)

We are busy getting ready for our trip so I will have to make this short and sweet! I'd planned on sharing some pictures which showed many of the things Steve's done to upgrade the trailer and truck but I am too busy running around so I'll post them at another point. Instead, let's get right to the show!

Cliff Swallows Under the Bridge!
One of the wonderful features of Humbug Mountain State Park is its proximity to the ocean--the park actually has their own beautiful beach! The way to get there is by walking down a short 5-minute trail which takes you under Oregon Coast Highway 101's bridge and out to the ocean and sprawling shoreline beyond.

The first time I walked to the beach, there were three things I noticed. The first thing was the incredible wind tunnel! Humbug sits in a canyon and the wind is simply amazing at its narrowest point--and yet, out at the beach the wind dies down significantly depending where you are. The second thing I noticed was the bridge you must walk under to get to the beach. I couldn't help admiring the handsomely designed architecture and paused at many points to appreciate its lines from various angles. The third thing I noticed filled me with great delight! Underneath the bridge there were dozens of mud-based nests built by Cliff Swallows! At the time I had my Canon and 100mm macro lens, and though I couldn't resist taking pictures, I knew those fabulous nests would be best-captured with my marvelous Sony camera.

Today's Pictures
The main picture today shows the bridge from the beach with Brush Creek flowing by to the sea. Next is a picture of the bridge from the trail down to the beach--you can see that the bridge is not flat and is going down a hill! The following insets show the wonderful nests that lined the underside of the bridge. As I took pictures, I watched the birds as they swooped in and out to their nests. Some were feeding chicks, others were working on their nests. The last image shows these birds working industriously on the construction of their nests which I thought was really interesting.

These birds (Barn Swallows too) are considered to be a nuisance in many places because of the mess they create and many people do not appreciate having mud nests built under their home's eaves. Of course, it that were me, I'd be happy to invite an entire colony to build homes! Perhaps that might be a bit much though, as large groups can number 2,000 or more! If you would like to know more about these wonderful, clever birds, Wiki has a very nice page on them here:
American Cliff Swallow. (By the way, if you'd like to see another wonderful picture of Cliff Swallow nests built into cliffs, Ron Hanko took this marvelous image when he and his wife were exploring Big Bend National Park back in February: Cliff Swallow Nests by Ron Hanko)

Finally, I hope you all have a fantastic and safe weekend! **virtual* HUGS!*

Explored on 8/7/20; highest placement #2.