Road's End North Rock

The North Rock at Road's End was the first site at Road's End where we noticed nesting activity, or possible nesting activity. That was in 2005. In 2006, the North Rock apparently fledged 3 chicks as 3 appeared with an adult near the rock. The North Rock is far north of any easily accessible viewing site so until the last couple of years all observations were made from the cove beach or from atop The Thumb, both a considerable distance away. No nesting activity was observed again until 2009 when their first nest apparently failed and they renested with a young chick seen on 8/7. In 2010 one chick was seen but apparently never fledged. 2011 they nested but apparently nest failed.

In 2012, I discovered a way to get closer to the nest rock and look down on it. Saw 2 eggs and later one chick but it did not seem to fledge. In 2013 they laid 3 eggs, do not know if they hatched. In 2014 1 chick probably fledged. Below photos are from 2014. The young chick was led to a pool of water, watched a parent bathe, then walked in, drank, and bathed.

North Nest Rock

Parent bill visible from probable nest/chick hiding spot

Tall rock seen above with pool of water behind

Both adults coming out from behind rock

Adult in water, other adult on shore with chick between them in the water

chick in water

chick bathing

cropped photo of chick

The next 3 years were disappointing. In 2015, they laid one egg but it disappeared. In 2016 they did not nest. In 2017 they laid 2 eggs where we could see them from The Thumb so I didn't have to hike to the north lookout point. But eventually the eggs were, apparently, abandoned, maybe because of being uncovered too long when an eagle sat on the cliff nearby and stared at them. The BLOY stayed off the nest so long as the eagle was there.

In 2018 they lost their first nest but renested and produced probably two chicks, although I could only catch one in a photo.

chick at right side of photo and across the boulder from adult

A summary of North Rock BLOY nests:

2005 possible nest
2006 3 chicks, fledging unknown
2007 not noted
2008 not noted
2009 not noted
2010 one chick, believed lost
2011 eggs, outcome unknown
2012 1 chick, fledging unknown
2013 3 eggs, may have hatched, chicks probably lost
2014 1 chick, probably fledged
2015 1 egg, lost
2016 no nest
2017 2 eggs, did not hatch
2018 1 chick seen, probable second
2019 no birds seen on the rock, no nest

North Cascade Head

In 2015, I discovered a BLOY nest area previously unknown, south of Refusal Rock, north of Hart's Cove. 2 eggs were laid but the birds were not faithful at setting, once leaving the eggs for over an hour. On my next visit, the eggs were gone.

Johnny took this photo through the scope on May 15, 2015, from Lot 12, South Beach, Neskowin, looking south toward the nest rock outcropping

photo taken with my Panasonic

 The following photos were all taken in March 2015 when I first found the site. It was occupied by 2 BLOY.

On May 15, we found 2 eggs after the birds returned, copulated, and one walked over to incubate the eggs. The green bough right center had been hiding the eggs from our view.

In 2016, the birds copulated on 5/6 but I do not know if they laid eggs. When I visited the site on 5/17, a Turkey Vulture was sitting above the nest area... no BLOY. I assumed they did not nest and did not recheck until 8/16

8/16: no BLOY or sign of nesting. Lots of gull splats.

I also scanned other rocks in that cove, south of the nest rock

Part of nest rock lower right corner. Islands visible are all tidal. Cove is in distance with two higher rocks protruding, pictured up close below

In 2017, no BLOY were seen on or near the nest rock during the May survey or after. Ditto for 2018.

North Cascade Head Nest Summary

2015 2 eggs, failed
2016 no nest known
2017 no nest known
2018 no nest
2019 not surveyed so unknown

Refusal Rock

This rock, north of North Cascade Head nest site and south of Proposal Rock off the South Beach neighborhood of Neskowin, has probably had a pair of BLOY nesting on it for many years, mostly unnoticed and unmonitored. It is not possible to see the nest site most years or even the guard post or foraging areas.  In 2016 Jack Hurt, the monitor who lives part time at South Beach, saw the pair on top of the rock often in May but no nesting activity. I also saw them as I went by on my way to the North Cascade Head nest site and did see some pebble throwing and scratching but then they disappeared. My Nikon Coolpix P900 brings the distant rock up close.

On July 26, I again checked and found 2 on the skyline from a distant OP (undeveloped Lot 12) and they were flying in and out, apparently feeding chick(s). I went to a viewpoint (undeveloped Lot 10) where I could see one foraging area and saw an adult carry food behind the rock and out of sight. On August 2 I saw adults again and a chick briefly.

a little closer shows one adult on skyline left of center

chick is in front of adult

cropped photo shows chick in front of adult

 Adults seen in same area again on Aug. 10. Too foggy for photos. Again on Aug. 16. This time I called Jack. He came up and saw an adult on the skyline. It had just changed places with another adult that flew off. Presumably they were taking turns watching a chick(s) and feeding it (them).

On 8/25/16, two fledglings appeared with two adults on the mainland across from Refusal Rock.

cropped view of photo above. Adults have bright red bills and eyes

blurry photo but shows the dark tip to fledgling bill and no red around eye

In 2017, a pair nested right on top of the rock in plain view of a vacant lot. Jack Hurt kept close watch on the nest with 3 eggs. It failed. The pair laid 3 eggs again and almost made it to hatching but they disappeared before. Remarkably, they laid 2 eggs again but this nest also failed. Jack saw no evidence of predators disturbing the birds so has no idea what the nests failed.

Refusal Rock Nest Summary

2006 nesting suspected
2011 2 chicks, lost
2012 2 eggs, outcome unknown
2013 nesting unknown
2014 nesting unknown
2015 apparently did not nest
2016 fledged two chicks
2017 nested 3 times, all 3 failed

Cascade Head 2 Arches Point 073.1

Activity has been seen since 2012 in the Fish & Wildlife Service seabird nesting area 073.1 north of Pinacle Cove on Cascade Head, east of 2 Arches Rock. In 2015 the BLOY nest was monitored, chick(s) hatched and fed out of sight but no apparent fledging. No activity was noted in 2016.

The nest rock is center of photo west (inland) of long thin rocky spit

In 2017, nesting began but a pair of eagles took up residence on top of the nest rock. The BLOY left.

073.1 Cascade Head Nest Summary

2012 nesting suspected, outcome unknown
2013 unknown
2014 unknown
2015 chick(s) hatched, none fledged
2016 unknown
2017 nest begun, disrupted by eagles in vicinity
2018 no nest as far as I could tell
2019 no nest activity seen, but I did not go weekly; lots of eagle activity in the area

Road's End South Rock

We have found three nests at Road's End. In 2016, only two were occupied. South Rock and Middle Rock both nested out of sight, as usual, on the west side but both failed. They both then renested. North Rock birds never nested.

South Rock on left, Middle Rock on right

We observed incubation exchanges on south Rock, southwest side, on 5/17, 5/24, 6/1 and 6/7. On 6/15 they were on the northwest side of the rock instead of the southwest. We did not know if they had hatched chicks and moved them or if they were starting over. This was when a pair of Bald Eagles began hanging out nearby. On 6/21, the pair of BAEA perched on top of the South nest rock. The BLOY dove at them to no avail. One eagle flew off and captured a bird, could not tell if it was a gull or pigeon guillemot or something else.

On 6/29 and 7/5, we observed incubation exchanges. Eagles still in area, usually on a bare tree on the mainland.

From 7/12 onward, the eagles were no longer around.  BLOY still apparently just incubating on 7/12 and 7/19. On 7/26 we saw BLOY bringing food to nest area.

We suspected unseen chick(s) behind ledge that adult is looking toward

On 8/2 both adults were on a foraging rock to the south preening and resting but one did return to nest site periodically. This was high tide so not feeding.

On 8/10, both adults were together off site at one rock or another but never that I saw on the nest rock. Periodically they disappeared and then reappeared on another rock, so they could have returned to some place on the back side of the nest rock out of my view. They did not return to the nest area so if the chicks are still alive, they have moved location. On 8/16, one adult rested at high tide for the 1 hour we watched on the rock north of South Rock. Suspect other adult with chicks somewhere.

Chicks hatch in 26-32 days. This second nest was begun on or about 6/15. 30 days later would be July 15, so if chicks had hatched then, they would be about 28 days old by 8/10, 34 days by 8/16. Fledging is about 38-40 days from hatch.

8/25 both adults on west-most foraging rock, mostly resting. One adult periodically disappeared and then later reappeared. One was seen once flying back to foraging rock from west side of nest rock, but it did not appear to have taken food. There is foraging area on the west side so don't know if chick(s) are there and able to forage. If still alive, they have not fledged.

South nest rock below scope handle, west most foraging rock above it

one BLOY foraged on rock at left before flying to rock on right where both BLOY rested most of the two hours

8/30 high tide no BLOY seen.

9/1 low tide. 2 adult BLOY flew in from South out of fog and foraged on small rocks in cove. No fledglings.

In looking back at my photos from last year, I realized that the BLOY nested in the same place as the 2nd nest this year, as seen in photos taken May 10, 2015.

In 2017, the pair nested out of sight again and an adult brought food to the area only once. Then they apparently renested so must have lost the chick. They never brought food to the second nest attempt so those eggs must not have hatched. There was an eagle that sat on a rock nearby for a long period and the BLOY did not go to their nest that entire time, so possibly the eggs were left uncovered too long.

In 2019, the pair stayed in the area after their nests failed, foraging on their favorite rock south of South Rock at least until the end of September

Road's End South Rock Nest History

2005 no nest
2006 no nest
2007 2 chicks fledged
2008 lost eggs
2009 lost chicks
2010 lost eggs
2011 eggs apparently lost
2012 at least one chick hatched, fledging unknown
2013 2 chicks reached fledging age
2014 1 chick fledged
2015 2 chicks, fledging unknown
2016 at least one chick hatched, did not fledge
2017 2 nest attempts, failed
2018 nest failed
2019 first nest failed, also second