I stopped by a river to get a shot of a sunset. I forgot the sunset when I saw the Chinook Salmon spawning so close to shore. These Salmon always return to their place of birth to spawn and this poor hen was banged up from her trecherous journey from the Pacific Ocean to this spot 100 miles up the Umpqua river in Douglas County Oregon. Chinook Salmon die after they spawn. This graceful lady has finished her life's task. Her eggs are buried in a gravel nest beneath her, the male has fertilized them and gone his own way... and she is waiting to die.
