Tufted puffin in breeding plumage; photo by Captain Ken Rea.
by Jan Jackson –
…There many reason to go visit Cannon Beach, Oregon and one of them is to see tufted puffins. Tufted puffins nest on off shore rockeries and when the tide is in, Haystack Rock is off shore. That’s good enough for the birds who come in to build their nest, lay their eggs and hatch their young. Once that’s done they head back out to sea.
About the tufted puffin
The puffins are native to the North Pacific Ocean and are fun to watch. Because they are dynamite swimmers that spend eight months of the year in the water, they look like “flying cigar” when they fly. The wing flapping that is needed to keep that stocky body airborne is easy to recognize. If you visit Cannon Beach anytime April through early July, look for them.
How you can see them
To find out when trained volunteers might be on the beach with spotting scopes, visit or contact the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce – 503-436-2623 or www.cannonbeach.org. For more information on tufted puffins visit www. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Puffin/id
Bring binoculars and travel happy.
Photo: Adult tufted puffin in breeding plumage taken by Captain Ken Rea during one of his regular Whale Watching Wildlife Tours out of Friday Harbor in Washington’s San Juan Islands – www.spiritoforca.com
