March | 2012 | View from the Lookout

Off the coast of Washington sits a small outcropping of rock called Destruction Island.

Destruction Island

The Hoh Indians visited the island for centuries. Spanish ships visited the island in the late 1700’s. They named it Isla de Dolores (Isle of Sorrow) due to killing of part of a Spanish crew by the Indians. Later the same fate waited for a British crew and they named the river into Ruby Beach Destruction River.

Completed in 1891, the lighthouse began functioning the following year. It continued functioning for over a century, until the Coast Guard discontinued operation in 2008. You can read more about the lighthouse here.

The island is viewed from along the Olympic National Park coastal section. We like to visit the Ruby Beach area and start hiking up and down from there. Many people come there to photograph the sunsets along the coast.

Ruby Beach Sunset

I was asked to share how I get the hummingbirds to sit on branches to photograph them.

Coming in for a landing

I learned the trick from reading Moose Peterson’s Captured. He set up feeders and branches on his deck and can take pictures of the birds that visit in more “natural” settings. I took this idea and set up some landing zones to photograph birds. I set up two locations on my back deck with planters. Both have small feeders as well as branches that are inserted in the planters.

Landing Zone #1

Landing Zone #2

Behind the second zone you can see another spot I set up in my yard. I planted seedlings a few years ago for providing safe zones for birds. Understanding that birds like to come from above, I place branches higher than the feeders. I lower the backyard feeder and the birds land on the branches to check out the area before entering the feeder. It also helps to have three towering cedars, a green belt and lake behind the house. Birds like the sense of safety provided by the trees.