Redwoods
Thursday, July 12, 2007: Some early morning birding around the Requa Inn was fairly productive. The hummingbird feeders and nearly flowers had both Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds. The Klamath added some waterbirds, and I totaled 24 species around the inn.
After breakfast, I headed for the Redwood parks. I took the Nelson Drury drive, and made a few brief stops before heading for the Lady Bird Johnson Trail. Although only 1.3 miles long, this trail consumed a lot a time as I took many photos. The trees are quite impressive. The trees are huge, with a canopy too high to usefully bird. I found the way they survived fire to be particularly interesting. Even if the core of the tree burns, they still manage to protect the living parts and a redwood can survive many years after its core has been burned out.
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| Redwoods | |||
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I headed a little further south to the national park visitor's center, then turned back north. This time, I took the turnoff toward Fern Canyon in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. I walked the James Irvine trail to the Home Creek bridge, then returned through Fern Canyon (about 4 miles long and 450 feet elevation change). I mainly just walked and enjoyed the surroundings rather than birding or photographing. Fern Canyon lives up to its name, with the walls being covered in ferns. The return through Fern Canyon follows a braided stream with many crossings. Although it doesn't have the really big trees, I recommend this hike.
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| Columbia Lily | Elk |
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After a stop at the end, I drove to the nearby Mouth of the Klamath Overlook to hunt for whales. The hunt was successful! A guy I had seen at Fern Canyon pointed out a couple of whales near the rivermouth. I also managed to find some whales much further out. After scoping both groups, I came to the conclusion that the far whales were Humpbacks while the rivermouth whales were Gray Whales. Some sea lions were also present in the surf. I noticed Pigeon Guillemots and Common Murres out on the water.
I returned to the inn, to rest a bit before dinner. Dinner at the inn is not included in the room price, but seems like a pretty good deal. Everyone sits at a big table and the side dishes are passed around. They have a decent wine list. The food is good, exceeding what would be expected from the price.
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| Klamath River | Requa Inn |
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| Pacific Sunset at Klamath Overlook | |
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| Pacific Sunset at Klamath Overlook | |
Requa Inn, Klamath, CA