It’s the quintessential view of Cannon Beach, looking south from Ecola Point.

Centered in a wide line of sight is the silhouette of Haystack Rock, framed to the east by the cascading Coast Range Mountains.

In the foreground lie a series of pocket beaches accessible by trail — Crescent Beach, then Chapman Point — separated by a string of rounded, closer sea stacks.

These are the Bird Rocks, one hardly separated from a headland that belongs to the John Yeon State Natural Site and three others further at sea.

Barely-visible hikers on the sand point to their scale. A pair of binoculars will reveal the reason for their name. Like hundreds of such islands that stretch along the Oregon Coast, these rocks house nesting seabirds. Some common varieties: Oystercatchers, black turnstones and multiple species of cormorants.

Grassy stretches at the rocks’ peak, similar to those of Haystack Rock, offer birds a resting spot from the icy waters below, or a fitting place to dine on fresh fish. For people, they’re an excuse to bring along the camera.