Steelhead are native to North America west of the Rockies. This popular sport fish has been introduced to almost every other state and on every continent except Antarctica.
You may be surprised to learn that steelhead and rainbow trout are the same species, but rainbow trout live only in freshwater and steelhead are anadromous, meaning they spend part of their lives in freshwater and part of their lives in the ocean.
Because of their different lifestyles steelhead and rainbow trout are different in appearance, most noticeably in size and color. Rainbow trout derive their name from their beautiful, multi-hued coloration.
Steelhead are generally more streamlined in shape and silvery or brassy in color as adults. Adult steelhead/rainbow trout range in size.
They can reach 45 inches in length and weigh over 50 pounds, although they are usually much smaller. A typical weight is about 8 pounds.
Because steelhead spend 2-3 years in freshwater followed by 2-3 years in the ocean they are typically larger than rainbow trout.
Steelhead/rainbow trout have a varied diet and will feed on just about anything, including zooplankton when they’re young and fish eggs, small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and even mice as they mature.
This fish is also a food source for many different predators depending on the region and habitat. Their predators include lampreys, fish, birds, bears, river otters, raccoons, and humans. In the ocean, steelhead are eaten by many species including seals, sea lions, and orcas.
Steelhead have been called the ultimate game fish. These elusive and challenging fish can test an angler’s patience and persistence, but the reward is hooking into a fish that is famous worldwide for its line-peeling runs and spectacular, acrobatic fight.
Great blue herons are one of the most widespread and familiar water birds in Oregon. Our neighborhood heron, nicknamed “frog eater” by the locals, stops by to patiently fish the reservoir on a regular basis.
Great Blue Heron hunting (courtesy Unsplash.com, Joshua J. Cotton)
From head to tail this bird stretches 54-inches making it the largest water bird in Oregon. The long legs help the heron wade through shallow waters and bogs catching fish and invertebrates with its spear-like beak. One would expect a bird this tall to have a wide wingspan and it does, up to 79-inches.
Plumage
Their slate gray feathers are reminiscent of a well-dressed evening ensemble complete with white crown, cheeks, and throat, rusty colored thighs, and yellow bill. During breeding, the adults develop long gray-white plumes on chest, neck, and back.
Juveniles have similar plumage but lack the breeding plumes, and sport a dark crown and upper bill.
Territory and Habitat
Great blue herons can be found throughout most of North America including Alaska and parts of Canada in the summer. In winter, the range extends east through Florida and into South America. They are year-round residents in many southern states where fish-bearing waters remain unfrozen (could include flowing water such as streams, creek, and rivers).
These hardy birds can adapt to almost any wetland habitat in its range. They hunt in areas with shallow water, such as marshes, lakes, streams, estuaries, and ocean shorelines. In the winter time they will hunt pastures and dry fields for rodents. Sometimes they will stop by urban ponds or a pond within a city park containing fish.
Food
Great Blue Herons wade slowly or stand statue-like stalking fish and other prey. At times they will stand in one place, probe vegetation, calmly focusing before stabbing their prey lightning-fast. Hunting techniques also include hovering over water, diving headfirst into the water, jumping and landing feet first in water, and swimming or floating. They will also make short graceful flights to better align with prey with slow wingbeats, tucked-in neck, and trailing legs.
While fish are a key part of their diet, they will also eat amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, shrimp, crab, rodents and other small mammals, reptiles, and birds (especially ducklings).
Nesting
These herons usually nest in near water trees or bushes, often on islands or other partially isolated spots to minimize predation. Males arrive at the nesting site first and select an already existing nest.
This species typically breeds in colonies with hundreds of tree nests. Bulky stick nests are typically reused for many years. They start out measuring around 20-inches across, and over time can grow to nearly 4 feet across and 3 feet deep.
Predators
Few predators will attack a full-grown adult. Larger avian predators, like the Bald eagle, have been know to attack adult blue herons. Eggs and nestlings are prey for many animals including turkey vultures, ravens, crows, hawks, bear, raccoon, owls, and eagles.
Human disruption, such a traffic noise and physical presence, can be very disruptive to nesting colonies. Adults may abandon eggs or chicks with repeated human intrusion. In some rare cases, the birds are able to adapt and tolerate some disruption as long as it doesn’t include habitat destruction and predation.
There is something peaceful about watching the Great Blue Heron slowly and carefully hunting on a sunny day. That is until they strike lightning-fast and pull in dinner. Patience and success—a great combination for survival!
REFERENCES: –All About Birds (www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id) –Wikipedia, Great Blue Heron (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_blue_heron)
What flies with a large pouch and never has to go through airport security? A California Brown Pelican!
Pelicans form graceful V-shaped formations hunting for schools of fish.
The California Brown Pelican stops by for a couple of weeks each year in Bandon. One of the best places to watch these large birds as they plunge-dive for fish is on Jetty Road SW near the mouth of the Coquille River in Bandon, Oregon.
How big?
California Brown Pelicans are hard to miss with a wingspan of nearly 79-inches and a body length of 54-inches! Their size is further underscored when they fly in neat, V-shaped formations over the surf hunting for schools of fish.
Diving
As they plunge into the water, their famed three-gallon throat pouch scoops up their prey. Only the California Brown and a closely related Peruvian species make these spectacular plunging sideline dives into the water. There are ten pelican species.
Where to find them
Pelicans congregate in large numbers at the mouth of several Oregon bays during migration. You will often see them roosting on rocky formations, pilings or peers or hear their loud “screaming” call.
They migrate to/from winter breeding grounds in southern California and Mexico. They range from Vancouver Island, Canada to northern South America. Approximately 20,000 pelicans living on the Oregon coast in the summer.
Caution!
They can also be comical panhandlers and may beg from humans. They often hang out looking for opportunistic snacks such as fish scraps, crustaceans, lizards, smaller birds or eggs, turtles, etc. U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife has warned the public to: –Not feed the birds (human foods can injure or lead to starvation), –Leave the birds alone (if they are hanging out here, they are not breeding), and –Avoid attempting to pet them or interact with them (no selfies please!).
Recovery
These magnificent dare devils were recently removed from the endangered list in December (2019). They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is illegal to capture, kill, or possess a California Brown Pelican. Each violation comes with a maximum punishment of $15,000 in fines and six months in jail.
For more information check: US Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Bandon Marsh site at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bandon_Marsh/wildlife_and_habitat/waterfowl.html
REFERENCES: –Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Pelicans and Cormorants at https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/pelicans-and-cormorants (there is a link so you can hear their calls near the bottom of the page). —Brown pelicans lingering on Oregon Coast see: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2010/01/brown_pelicans_overstaying_the.html
