Bandon & Coos Bay, OR (4/14/2020)

I decided to return to Bandon primarily to explore the Coquille River area, but I couldn't resist driving along the Bandon beachfront again as it is one of my favorite spots along the Oregon coast.  On this trip the tide was pretty low. so  I took photos that are somewhat different than the previous ones from here.

 

I made it a point to drive by Table Rock, hoping the tufted puffins may have arrived for their nesting season.  Unfortunately, the only birds I saw were sea gulls and cormorants.  Some locals I spoke with told me they haven't seen any puffins yet this year.

Here are a couple of homes that impressed me, particularly the landscaping.

The Coquille River, named for an Indian tribe that lived in the area for hundreds of years, starts in the coastal mountains and flows into the ocean at Bandon.  It is very much affected by ocean tides as I saw during my drive along twenty miles of the river.

There wasn't the great scenery I had hoped to find, but I did see some birds and a few pretty shrubs/trees in bloom.

Tree Swallow

Buffleheads

By finishing the river drive so quickly, I had time to continue on to Coos Bay for the afternoon.  This town of about 16,000 is named for the bay it surrounds, which in turn is named for another local tribe of Native Americans.  There are some beautiful state parks along the shore near Coos Bay, but they are currently closed due to coronavirus concerns.  So, I took this opportunity to visit the only WalMart on the southern coast and stock up on toilet paper.

Coos Bay has a multitude of ponds, sloughs, creeks and the Coos River, all affected by tides except for the fresh water ponds.  This is also where the Oregon Dunes National recreation Area begins and extends some forty miles up the coast.  In places, the dunes are as much as 500 feet high. This park is also closed.

I paid a quick visit to the small (800 people) fishing village of Charleston, also located on Coos Bay.  In normal times, this is a fun place with many quaint shops, restaurants, bars, etc, all closed at the moment.  I parked near the Lost At Sea memorial and enjoyed my Burger King take-out lunch, sharing it with a hungry house sparrow.