Hoh Rain Forest

All National Parks have something unique that made them worthy to be recognized and preserved for future generations.  Olympic was first created as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909. In 1938 President Franklin Roosevelt declared Olympic a national park.  In 1988 congress designated 95% of the Olympic National Park as a federal wilderness area. 

Why all the fuss?  The Pacific temperate rain forest is the largest in the world.  Olympic National Park is one of the largest preserved areas within that region.  Besides the rain forest, Olympic National Park contains the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific coastline.  Due to several long periods of glaciation and sculpting by the Cordilleran ice sheet, which advanced at least six times into Washington, the Olympic Peninsula has some species that exist no where else.  It is believe that these species became isolated, but also protected within the peninsula and where able to survive.  The Olympic area became a refuge from the extreme conditions that were happening else where. In most recent history, a mere 15,000 years ago, it was the Vashon Glacial period that created what we see today on the peninsula and Puget Sound. 

Pictured below is an American Dipper.  The Hoh Rain Forest receives 150 - 180 inches (380 - 457 cm)  of rain each year.   And so there is also the Hoh River which drains to the west coast on the Pacific side.  Along this river, you might see little grey birds called dippers.  Dippers love fast moving water.  They feed on insects and small fish by dipper into the water.  They are able to stand on the bottom of shallow waters and pick bugs from the river bed. The have a second, clear eyelid that they can see through, called a nictitating membrane which protects their eyes. 

From Port Angeles it is about 70 miles to the entrance of the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park.  From there if you continue south, there are plenty of spectacular beaches to explore. Pictured below is Ruby Beach at high tide. About 10 miles south of Ruby Beach is the Kalaloch Lodge, which has cabins that overlook the sea.  It is a very beautiful place. 

Pictured below is a Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus. This bird is rare on the peninsula.  In the winter a few, however, make the journey.  I was very lucky to see one of these amazing birds at Ruby Beach. It flew by twice and I got some great views.  The third time it flew by, a small group of large gulls noticed and went after the Gyrfalcon and chased it away. Gyrfalcons are the largest of all falcons at 22 inches (55 cm) in length and a wing span of 47 inches (119 cm).  They are inhabitants of the far northern areas of Canada and Alaska.  

After my visit to the Hoh Rain Forest and a few other areas of Olympic National Park, I have increased my Washington state bird list to 75 different species.  Here are the additional birds: American Dipper, American Kestrel, California Quail, Eurasian Collared Dove, Grey Jay, Gyrfalcon, Hermit Thrush, Pacific Wren, Pine Grosbeak, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ruffed Grouse. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!