Oregon Wildlife Officials on Birds and Baby Seals Right Now

Published 06/28/2012

(Oregon Coast) – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) recently released statements about the increasing presence of baby seals on the Oregon coast and about bird watching. (Photo above: a tufted puffin at Cannon Beach, courtesy Seaside Aquarium)

Plenty of baby seals will be seen along the Oregon coast as it is pup season now. ODFW urges the public to stay away, however. Besides the fact it is illegal to interfere with their resting in the sand, another big benefit from keeping your distance is that you may be able to see harbor seals nursing their young.

You can also put yourself and your pets at risk if you try to come to the aid of an animal that does not need it.

Baby seal photos courtesy Seaside Aquarium

“Even though it may look abandoned, the mother is not far away and will return,” the ODFW said. “If you touch them the mother may abandon them and they will die. Seals also sometimes carry a serious disease, leptospirosis, which can be fatal to people and dogs.”

Cape Meares

For birdwatchers, ODFW said this is a great time to catch sight of nesting sea birds and falcons along the Oregon coast, including tufted puffins. These can be found on Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, two miles south of Cape Meares and one-half mile offshore. But you can also see them closer to shore on Haystack Rock off Cannon Beach.

Common murres are watching their eggs at this time.

“You can see them nesting on almost any offshore rock along the coast. Pick a high point overlooking an offshore rock, bring binoculars or a spotting scope and watch the show,” ODFW said.

Peregrine falcon eggs are already hatching. You can see three of the fuzzy white chicks in a nest near the visitor’s center of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area north of Newport. When they grow up they will join other Peregrine falcons as the fastest animal on the planet.

Below: near Florence

Yaquina Head

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