Mile 109 Report

March 20, 2006
by Foggy

Location:
Coos
Whisky Run, Fivemile Pt, south end Merchants Beach
Conditions:
Monday 8:15 AM
Cloudy
45° F
Wind:
Calm/Light
Humans / Pets:
People:
1
Activities:
1? sitting in car
Concerns:
Disturbances:
Vehicles:
Cars/Trucks parking:
4
Cars/Trucks on beach, allowed:
1
Activity Comments:
A couple of oyster catchers were scolding me.
Notable Wildlife:
Dead Birds:
Total:
1
Species/names:
rhinoceros auklet: 1, probably immature, starved
Stranded:
Fish & Invertebrates:
Driftline:
Kelp or Algae·Animal casings (e.g. crab, shrimp molt)·Animal casings (e.g. crab, shrimp molt)·Land-based debris (picnics, etc.)·Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.)·Small rocks·Styrofoam·Wood pieces
You name it, it's here
New Development:
Modifications:
Natural Changes:
Comments:
There was a 55-gal very rusty oil drum, leaking what looked like used engine oil. I will try to contact the respective Zone Manager of SOLV's Spring Beach Cleanup, which is next Saturday.
Summary:
More than the usual junk on beach. 55gal drum washed up. 1 dead rhinoceros auklet
Other Mile 109 Reports (48)

2017

June 18, 2017 - TRBishop
Tide was low enough to hike around Coquille point from Merchants Beach to Wisky Run Beach. about a half dozen wind surfers were dancing in the waves at Wiskey Run - obviously a good day for it!
read more

2014

April 24, 2014 - smforeman
Nice afternoon following storms of last week. Lots of kelp on beach. No unusual debris or any identified as tsunami debris. Got there at low tide and was able to survey tidepools at the point....
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April 6, 2014 - smforeman
No unusual activity. Great day for birdwatching and agate collecting. At Five Mile Point saw usual suspects: Harlequin Duck pair, Surf Scoters, Oyster Catchers. Two vultures in updraft over cliffs....
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  • I was wondering if anyone knew source of this figure cut in rock
March 21, 2014 - smforeman
Mild day, tide low enough to see some tidepools and view mussels and starfish on offshore rocks.
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  • Starfish edge of mussel bed exposed
February 6, 2014 - smforeman
Wintry day at low tide. Lots of kelp accumulated around driftwood at creek. Waves around tide kept me from going around point.
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February 3, 2014 - whiskeydevil
No one on beach or in parking lot. Saw a Great Blue Heron in a tide pool.
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January 25, 2014 - smforeman
Nice day on beach. Large flock of sandpipers (over 100) playing in waves--sanderlings, I believe. Tube worm on beach south of Fivemile Point.
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2013

December 16, 2013 - whiskeydevil
Vehicle observed deliberately driving through a flock of gulls. A vicious dog (attacked another dog) off the leash.
read more
June 8, 2013 - whiskeydevil
It was a wonderful morning on the beach! Sunny and not too windy. The Bald Eagle was a real treat to see!! It was sunning at Fivemile Point and flew north along the beach. Shells, kelp/algae, small...
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2012

December 31, 2012 - whiskeydevil
Shells, kelp/algae, small rocks and wood pieces in the driftline. No other people on the beach.
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November 23, 2012 - whiskeydevil
Wonderful Thanksgiving day on the beach. Shells, kelp/algae,small rocks and wood in the driftline. Six people walking on the beach and four people tidepooling. One dog.
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September 8, 2012 - whiskeydevil
Overall pretty clean of garbage. Did see large mammal bones, probably a sea lion/seal. Shells, animal casings, kelp/algae, small rocks and wood in driftline. Many large mussel clumps on the beach....
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2011

July 31, 2011 - Foggy
Looks like recent winds have scoured sand from many spots and dumped it into low (3-foot high) sand drifts (photo). Searocket and (native) Dunegrass are spreading from foredune to upper beach (photo...
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  • Recent winds have scoured sand from most areas, and neatly dumped it into 3-foot tall drifts in other spots.
  • Several dozen Brandt's Cormorants had lined up along the ridge of an offshore rock. In this bunch, one seems to be voicing complaints about something.
  • Many flocks of Brown Pelicans were skimming the wavetops, headed north. This one still has most of its immature plumage.
  • There were 8 marine mammals on the rocks; the far-right two look like pups. I suspect these are all Harbor Seals, even though some are beige, with the exception of the far right pup, which looks more like a Steller Sea Lion pup.
  • Two Turkey Vultures were hanging out on a rock overlooking a scum-covered tidepool at the foot of the cliff. They were smaller and with less-developed coloration than your typical adult TV.
June 4, 2011 - Foggy
A beautiful day on Whisky Run, warm, clear, sharp horizon, almost no wind at all. Moderate use by 14 people and 4 dogs. Cow's clover, Monkeyflower, Pacific Silverweed, and American Beachgrass were in...
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  • A new crop of 2mm-diameter acorn barnacles has colonized mussels in the lower intertidal.
  • Some sort of sculpin, sitting on its fins in a tidepool
  • Trifolium wormskioldii in its prime
  • A patch of <em>Fragaria chiloensis</em>
  • Closeup of a node on an Equisetum stem.
  • Probably Common Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, in a seep.
  • Probably Ligia pallasii, in profile. Body length about 3/4 inch.
  • An Osprey was hovering over protected waters
March 31, 2011 - Foggy
Spring has sprung! Gorse is in bloom; a new generation of mussels, periwinkles, and Pelvetiopsis (rockweed) have appeared on intertidal rocks. Very light human use (3) on a warm but foggy day with...
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  • These two kelp flies, probably <em>Coelopidae</em>, were on a rock near high-tide line. [Should be viewed at full size.]
  • A shiny new generation of mussels about an inch long were beginning to cover bare spots. There were a few patches of slightly older Gooseneck barnacles, and a new crop of millimeter-size periwinkles browsing the outside of the barnacles.
  • A small rockweed,Little Rockweed, <em>Pelvetiopsis limitata</em>, longest blades about 3 inches long.
January 28, 2011 - Foggy
Moderate (17) human use on a Friday afternoon: Two people leading horses to [what looked like] their first experience with surf and the ocean. Six kiteboarders working their way north from Mile 108....
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  • Small cluster of eggs of some snail, laid on bare rock in a mussel bed. Each egg is about 1/4 inch long. One has hatched.
  • First time I've seen horses on this beach. These two were brought in a trailer.
January 3, 2011 - Foggy
South of Fivemile Point the sand level was typical winter: clean, flat, low sand lets waves get right up to base of bluff. North of the point, a 3-4 acre stretch of intertidal beach covered with...
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  • At the north end of 109 (just 2 miles south of "Agate Beach") the beach consisted primarily of polished and rounded gravel from 2" to sand. First time I've ever seen this size of a gravel patch -- must have been 3 or 4 acres at least.
  • Just beyond the surf. (Telephoto lens makes it look closer than it was.)
  • Male Surf Scoter, in relatively calm water protected by offshore rocks
  • In relatively protected water behind offshore rocks
  • Harbor Seal watching shoreline activities from the water

2010

December 3, 2010 - Foggy
Light human use (8) on a clear, calm afternoon with a super-low tide; no dogs. Sand over rocks at Fivemile is still high from summer. Remarkable: a 3" Heptacarpus brevirostris shrimp with 3 spines on...
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  • A small, slow home-built plane flew up the beach at about 200 feet. Very quiet, not a problem at all.
  • About 2" across carapace, this <em>Hemigrapsus nudus</em> was initially in full view on wet sand, but hid under a large rock when it saw me.
  • I noticed 8 beached birds in the driftline; there were probably many more. None were fresh enough for this amateur to identify.
  • Just for fun, here's a view of the typical Common Green Anemone, <em>Anthopleura xanthogrammica</em>, and Aggregating Anemone, <em>Anthopleura elegantissima</em>, taken under water.
September 22, 2010 - Foggy
Light human (9), dog (2) and vehicle (2) use on a sunny, warm Fall day. Two (possibly three) gray whales just beyond the breakers, feeding in the same spot for half an hour or so (see photo.) Seals...
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  • Two gray whales were [apparently] feeding, for at least 30 minutes just off Whisky Run access. One bystander mentioned it was the first time he'd visited Oregon; he and his wife were pretty excited, high-fives and all that.
  • Young sea lion, about 4 feet long, feeding the vultures on Mile 107
  • Moon jelly, <em>Aurelia labiata</em>, about 10" in diameter. This one was still alive, still pulsating even on the sand.
  • Looking S from Seven Devils Wayside, Merchant Beach and Fivemile Point in the background. Low tide around +1.0.
  • Looking south from Fivemile Point to Whisky Run Beach. Sand levels are very high here -- it was easy to bike-ride right around Fivemile Point at +1.0 tide. This spot is normally a large bed of seaweed-covered boulders and tidepools.
  • With sand levels so high at Fivemile Point that most low-intertidal rocks are covered, it's hard for sea stars to find a suitable spot to wait out low tides.
July 12, 2010 - Foggy
Very light human/dog use (7/2). Very clean beach -- most debris has been washed away or hidden by the normal early summer wind-blown sand. Lots of the regular wildflowers in full bloom. Shells, kelp...
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  • Some sort of terrestrial Earwig or Rove beetle about 1/4 inch long, either building its own nest or raiding the burrow of some other sand critter. The smooth high-intertidal beach was dotted with many hundreds of small burrow tailings and these things.
  • Long-dead carcass without head, too far gone to measure
  • There was a large swath of Wild Radish <em>Raphanus sativus</em> along the top of the foredune. Individual plants had blooms in this purple/white, or mostly white, or pale yellow.
  • Small Seaside Plantain <em>Plantago maritima</em> in a crevice at the base of the cliff
  • Perhaps 20 feet of foredune has washed away, showing how deep the European Beachgrass roots can go. Note old log exposed for the first time in years.
  • A patch of Seaside Daisy <em>Erigeron glaucus</em> at the base of the cliff
  • A native plantain <em>Plantago subnuda</em> with an 18-inch tall flower stem and large, deep purple leaves. These were on the rocks near a seep at the base of the cliff.
June 18, 2010 - Foggy
Light human use on a warm June morning (10 people walking, doing photography, and collecting mussels, 4 dogs). Moderate legal vehicular use. Normal Summer sand returning -- would be easy to get...
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  • Some sort of Isopod (relative of terrestrial sow bugs), posing for a close-up while foraging in crevices at high intertidal. Actual length about an inch, not counting antennae.
  • Same Isopod individual as previous photo, this time a full-length profile.
  • A couple of Rove beetles, length about 1/2 inch.
  • Pale Beach Hopper, <em>Megalorchestia columbiana</em>, about 1/2 inch long, disturbed from its burrow under a pile of kelp
  • Northwestern Garter Snake <em>Thamnophis ordinoides</em>, about 2 feet long, at base of cliff under a willow
  • European or Horned Searocket, <em>Cakile maritima</em>, at foot of foredune. Note finely-divided leaves, fleshy seedpods in two sections with lower section having horn-like projections.
  • Beach pea <em>Lathyrus japonicus</em> pods. Beach pea often grows along top of foredunes in beach grass; this one is with some sort of Rush.
  • Brass Buttons <em>Cotula coronopifolia</em>, in a mound at base of cliff. These are related to daisies, and the 1/2-inch blossoms in fact look a lot like a daisy stripped of petals.
  • Some sort of bee, and an aphid, on a blossom of Pacific Silverweed <em>Argentina egedii</em>
  • Cow's Clover <em>Trifolium wormskioldii</em>, near a seep at the base of the cliff
  • Common Monkeyflower <em>Mimulus guttatus</em>, at base of the cliff near a seep.
March 13, 2010 - Foggy
Moderate use by humans (25), dogs (6) and vehicles on beach (6). One kid had managed to climb about halfway up the cliff at Fivemile Point.Sand on Miles 109 and 110 has eroded about 2 feet lower than...
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  • Very clear proof that there are still beavers in these creeks: a beaver has dropped two large red alder trees across Whisky Run, within 10 feet of the road. Other flora are skunk cabbage, gorse, sword fern, salmonberry, salal.
  • A flock of 19 Surfbirds, staying just a step or flap away from the waves.
  • Where the waves can now reach the base of the cliff, a couple minor slides have slipped into the surf.
  • Man and dog, exploring rocks at Fivemile Point at low tide
February 22, 2010 - Foggy
Moderate use (12 people, 3 dogs) on a warm sunny day. Two vehicles on allowed beach. There's been even more than the typical winter removal of sand, right up to foot of foredune/cliff; very flat...
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  • Extreme closeup of lamprey mouth, about an inch in diameter. "Teeth" in lower jaw are really more like a single-piece sawblade than discrete teeth. All are hooked, and extremely sharp.
  • Body of lamprey, showing gill slits, lack of any scales, and fins similar to an eel.
  • Tracks left by some burrowing creature, probably a worm
  • Surf Scoters in a calm spot between the rocks and the beach. Note the white patches on head, and the red bill. (Sorry about the poor photo -- you'll need to view full-size to see anything at all.)
  • A pair of Harlequin Ducks, sharing a calm spot with the Scoters just offshore. (Need to view full-size.)
  • Formal portrait of a Surf Bird. Note basic gray back and wings, white belly, yellow legs, and favorite turf (small rocks just offshore.)
  • A 1/2" fragment of a sea urchin test (shell), showing why they're called "Echinoderms" (spiny skin).
  • On the Oregon Coast you can find stray patches of Gorse, <em>Ulex europaea</em>, in bloom pretty much any time of the year. At Whisky Run the main season begins in March.

2009

December 25, 2009 - Foggy
Surprisingly heavy surf, but no wind, on this gorgeous afternoon. Moderate use by humans (14) and dogs (5), with exception of two ATVs doing doughnuts at high speed. Flat beach, clean of debris. A...
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  • A couple gulls and a cormorant, finding safe spots on offshore rocks.
  • Pink tipped anemones, Anthopleura elegantissima, almost buried in sand.
  • Angelica lucida beginning growth in mid-winter. Last year's dead umbels (flower heads) hanging down. (For another image, see the CoastWatch logo at upper-left corner of this page.)
October 30, 2009 - Foggy
Fog came in just as I began, reduced visibility to about 200 feet. Very light (3) human use for this Saturday afternoon(2 walking and 1 windsurfing). Very high numbers (several hundred) gulls...
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  • A couple dozen Brown Pelicans (and a few gulls) perched on small rocks just offshore. More pelicans, and the typical cormorants, on top of the large rocks.
  • Pelicans will often fly in a close "paceline" staying just above the water, and on their 6-foot wingspan catching the updrafts caused by wavetops.
  • Hundreds of gulls of various ages collecting in a strip on a ridge separated from the main beach by a shallow runnel. There was another bunch just as large, about 1/4-mile south.
September 7, 2009 - Foggy
Considerable sand build-up over rocks at Fivemile Point. It's now possible to drive around the Point at a +1.0 or lower low tide if you have 4WD and lots of clearance. Other areas of Whisky Run beach...
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  • Searocket, <em>Cakile edentula</em> blossom, close-up. These are spreading from the foredune down right onto the beach, where they collect windblown sand to form small mounds.
  • Probably <em>Mimulus guttatus</em>, Common Western Monkeyflower, somewhat the worse for wear. This one was spreading quite happily in the water seeping down from the Bandon Dunes golf course.
  • The unmistakable Brass Buttons, <em>Cotula coronopifolia</em>, in a fresh-water seep at the base of the bluff.
  • Weeks-old sea lion carcass with a log resting on it.
  • Lots of sand has collected over the rocks at Fivemile Point. It's now fairly easy to drive around the point at low tide.
  • Looking directly into the north wind blowing the dry sand along the beach. The streaks of light color are the airborne sand.
  • Large deer prints, just north of Fivemile Point
  • Poorly-worded sign at Whisky Run access, explaining vehicle regs. Note that there is nothing about Fivemile Point being the northern limit of legal vehicle use.
July 22, 2009 - Foggy
Extreme low tide made it obvious that at least two major ridge & runnel systems are building up just offshore, north of Fivemile Point. Along with the offshore rocks, these clearly reduce the...
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  • Amphipod California Beach Hopper, about an inch long. These eat decaying kelp, and can burrow into moist sand probably faster than you can say "<em>Megalorchestia californiana</em>".
  • Four Rove beetles (terrestrial insects) of various sizes, largest about 1/2 inch long, eating innards of a beach hopper.
  • [Probably] red velvet mite, less than 1.0 mm long, on back of a large black Rove beetle. The mite will eventually kill the beetle. (It's a violent life on Whisky Run Beach.)
  • 1-inch wide trails of Purple Olive snails in wet sand. For closeup of the perp, see next photo.
  • Purple Olive snail, Olivella biplicata, exposed at the end of its trail.
  • A flock of Semipalmated Plovers searching for bugs in driftline. Note the black collar and eyespots, yellow/orange legs, short bill, and large number of individuals in the flock.
  • Gooseneck Barnacle, <em>Pollicipes polymerus</em>, on a mussel (as they typically are.) Note the small acorn barnacles colonizing one of the hard plates. The Gooseneck can move around, presumably to scrape competitors off the substrate.
  • Acres of sand almost always underwater, between Fivemile Point and the offshore rocks. Note gulls taking advantage of the -2.1 tide and foggy early morning to find gourmet tidbits.
  • Very old sea lion skeleton near one of the sentinel rocks just north of Fivemile Point
July 6, 2009 - Foggy
Summer sand build up along entire beach. Whimbrels; swallows at play; goldfinches; one pelican among dozens of gulls. Raccoon tracks on beach. One chunk of encrusting sponge. (See photos for a cross-...
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  • 4 Whimbrels were browsing the driftline contents
  • Tracks of a large raccoon in the soft sand
  • Typical mini-dunes of wind-blown sand built up over winter base
  • Very small Nereocystis; bulb about 2" diameter.
  • Closeup of exterior of encrusting sponge. Thousands of small incurrent pores ("ostia"), and a few large excurrent pores ("oscula"). The pores are the most reliable way to identify this colonial animal as a sponge.
April 30, 2009 - Foggy
Generally, considerable sand build-up by waves and also above high tide by wind. In one random spot at low tide there was about 1/2 inch of fine sand over a deep layer of pea-size gravel. A few wide...
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  • Wet pea-size gravel/agates in swathes just north of Fivemile Point
  • Wet pea-size gravel/agates in swathes just north of Fivemile Point
  • A flock of sanderlings swerving to avoid the photographer. Note how their eyes stay almost level even as their wings go vertical or even beyond. Also note how their wings are extremely thin when viewed from directly ahead.
  • Carcass of bird about the size of a crow, but with a gray, curved beak and a red head. Basically black, but spots of white and gray. Feet were missing.
  • Happened to notice that the top 1/2-inch layer of fine sand was underlaid by a much coarser layer
  • Another picture of pea gravel at south end of Merchants Beach. The largest of these stones are about an inch long, most are about 1/4 inch.
March 24, 2009 - Foggy
Kelp/algae and ocean-based debris in the driftline including a very large chunk of concrete-covered styrofoam, probably a floating dock. 20 Surfbirds on rocks in surf, flock of 134 Sanderlings and 5...
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  • Searocket (<em>Cakile Edentula</em>). This year's seedlings are up, and last year's survivors are beginning to blossom.
  • Sanderlings searching for sand crabs and worms, as a wave recedes. These three were in a flock of 134.
  • Closeup of anthers on a male willow (<em>Salix sp.</em>). Smooth ones toward the left are not yet mature. (An individual willow tree is either male or female. This one is a male.)
  • Very small (1/2 inch) Pelagic Gooseneck barnacles (<em>Lepas pacifica</em>) on the holdfast of a kelp.
  • Large rocks at Fivemile point with a foot or two of smooth bare base showing that the sand has washed away for the winter. This is normal. In the photo, the tide level is about +1.8, fairly low. View is looking north from Fivemile Point.
  • A "coralline" red alga, <em>Bossiella orbigniana subsp. dichotoma</em>, under water in a tidepool. The hard calcareous exterior protects the plant from abrasion by sand.
  • Six out of a flock of 20 Surfbirds browsing on a rock. Note the yellow legs on one of them; if the legs were red they'd be Ruddy Turnstones.
  • A red alga, Cylindrical Forked Seaweed (<em>Ahnfeltiopsis linearis</em>).
  • Turkish Washcloth (<em>Mastocarpus papillatus</em>). This plant is about 4 inches (10 cm) long and can be told by the small papillae or the knobby bumps on the blades. These knobby bumps are associated with the reproductive structures of this algae.
  • Maybe 100 feet north of the beach access, looks like someone tried to start a fire in the gorse.
January 13, 2009 - Foggy
Beautiful warm day, light (7/3) human/dog use and not much trash in wrack, very high tide at about 1:00 PM has cleaned the beach.Looks like Mike Keiser is working on the new golf course at the top of...
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  • Headless probably sea lion youngster about 4 ft long, perhaps a week dead. Brown fur with hairs up to an inch long.
  • Tail flippers of young sea lion, showing three toes with 3"-long nails. Fourth toe has stub of a nail.
  • Red/brown fur on neck was up to an inch long
  • Torso and front flippers. Note that fur extends quite aways down flipper behind the bare leading edge.

2008

December 25, 2008 - Foggy
Initially there was a layer of light sea foam over much of the beach; most had disintegrated within an hour. Very light (5) human use on a day with rotten weather but mesmerizing lighting conditions...
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  • Sea foam over a foot thick was turning the water into slop.
  • Base of bluff has eroded a few feet since September, but only one small slide so far. Note the yellow gorse buds, even in winter.
  • Very unusual lighting: stormy seas frosted with foam, squalls of hail/snow/rain interspersed with bright sunlight on waves and back-lighting some of the cumulus clouds coming in with a new storm front.
October 11, 2008 - Foggy
Lots of people (20-2 walking, 8 rockhunting, 2 windsurfing, 2 riding horses and 2 panning for gold), dogs (4), and vehicles (8) on this sunny Saturday afternoon. Very clean beach; almost no trash of...
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  • There were hundreds of feathers like this, scattered far and wide in the driftline. Probably the result of molting.
  • This 3cm isopod (Idotea wosnesenskii) was crawling across dry sand, probably blown off a kelp pile by the wind. I plunked him down in a tidepool for the picture; note the red compound eye.
  • Numerous large and small piles of Bull Kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. Fairly typical for after the first storm of Fall.
  • There was a gang of 7 of these, scavenging among the kelp. Note yellow legs -- Snowy Plover would have black or gray legs and be lighter tan.
  • This has been here for years. Looks like an inline 6-cylinder.
  • Normal progression: the Postelsia grows on the mussels, until they get so large the surf rips them both off the rocks.
August 1, 2008 - Foggy
Oregon Coast Trail has been rerouted around Miles 110 and 109, further inland, partially on Tokyo and Whisky Run roads, through the gorse, less scenic by far than the old route, however, it is well...
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  • Oregon Coast Trail has been re-routed between fences, through gorse, and on Tokyo Road and Whisky Run Road.
  • 5 Harbor seals, 4 Steller sea lions, 4 cormorants(?), the obligate gull, on rocks offshore from Fivemile Point.
  • Bryozoan: Flustrellidra corniculata. About 4 inches or 12 cm across. Looks like seaweed, but it's an animal.
  • Whimbrel on an offshore rock.
June 15, 2008 - TRBishop
This is a follow up to my mile 110 6-8-08 report regarding the moving of the Coast Trail and access on Tokyo Ln. on the border line of miles 109 and 110. Today I returned to take photos, as per...
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  • This is the new trail access that goes around the private golf course where the old trail ran through on the bluff above Five Mile Point
  • A trench has been dug in front of the gate, and these steps dug for trail access. (soon to be a muddy mess?. . .)
  • The new trail is an access road behind the new private golf course.
  • This trail is going to require a lot of maintenance to keep the gorse from over taking it.
  • The new trail sign post at Whiskey Run Beach is laying on the ground. It's cement base was too small. A vandal(?) took the sign plate off it.
  • The cement foot was not adequate to hold this sign post at Whiskey Run beach
  • The cement footing on this new post is inadequate and it will soon be gone if not redone.
May 17, 2008 - Foggy
Heavy human use (18) on this day when inland temperatures hit 95 degrees, but no adverse impact noted. Unusual large kelp piles and wood pieces in driftline. One Harbor Seal on offshore rock. One...
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  • A couple people looking for something in Whisky Run. Maybe gold (good luck!) or agates (wrong place to look.) Sand level of beach is just beginning to come back.
  • Beach Pea, Lathyrus japonicus
  • Pacific Silverweed, Potentilla anserina, fighting it out with the Gorse.
April 13, 2008 - Foggy
Small rocks in the driftline. Six Harbor Seals on offshore rocks. Large group of foraging sandpipers moving in response to humans and dogs. A few gulls on beach and 3 cormorants on rocks. Sand...
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  • 6 wary harbor seals were watching the humans
  • 3 folks headed out with their boards
  • Pattern of 1.0mm holes, perhaps from some sort of sand crab?
  • If there was anyone home, I sure couldn't see them.
  • Extreme closeup of wet sand, showing variety of sand grains less than a millimeter in diameter
  • A couple of Anthopleura elegantissima, with their sand grain decorations, closed up for low tide
  • 3cm holes in sandstone, probably carved by ancient clams or urchins, now too high in tidal zone to support their makers
  • 20cm Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) seemingly growing right out of the rock, about a meter above high tide line
January 18, 2008 - Foggy
Very light human use (7)-5 walking and 2 playing in the sand. The bedrock at Fivemile Pt was exposed; sand was lower than I've seen it in 2 years. Many of the rocks even at low intertidal level were...
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  • Similar to previous winters, much of the sand has gone elsewhere. Beach is very flat. Tides and surf have washed right up to the base of the foredune and washed away some of the European beachgrass.
  • This entire area is normally covered in sand. You can see how the lowest-level rocks are strangely smooth and clean -- seaweed and barnacles have not even had a chance to colonize them.

2007

November 22, 2007 - Foggy
Extreme highs (10+) and lows this week had scoured the beach of most debris. High tide line was right up next to the gorse (photo 4). Erosion of vegetated foredune. Very light human use(5)-3 walking...
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  • Three gulls on offshore rock silhouetted by sunset
  • Nearly full moon, framed by branches of shore pine
  • Very high tides had scoured the beach right up to the foot of the bluff.
  • Looking south from Whisky Run, over 108 and beyond to Bullards Beach, in late afternoon light.
September 9, 2007 - Foggy
Heavy human use (22 people), many dogs (6), on a gorgeous day. Almost no trash of any kind on beach. On 8/13/07, there was a 10-20 acre wildfire in the gorse along the top of the bluff south of WR...
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  • Aftermath of a 8/13/07 burn in the gorse along the top of the bluff just south of the Whisky Run access road. Note how the shore pine survived in the midst of acres of charred gorse.
  • Typical "grove" of Sea Palm <em>Postelsia palmaeformis</em> with holdfast.
  • A couple of dogs and a couple of people having a good time in light mist
  • "Street legal" vehicles are OK on wet sand south of Fivemile Point and north of Bullards Beach State Park; drivers must have a valid license.
  • Looking North toward Fivemile Point and Cape Arago, along the top of the bluff above Whisky Run. Large pastures and lots of gorse. Note edge of gorse burn at bottom right.
  • View looking south from the top of the bluff above Whisky Run. Lots of gorse. The light green patches are fairways and greens of Bandon Trails and Pacific Dunes golf courses.
  • Large Ridge and Runnel system has developed in new sand just south of Fivemile Point.
  • According to Bilderbacks, this is half of a huge Steller sea lion carcass which washed up around 9/8/2007.
June 14, 2007 - D Bilderback
We went to Five Mile Point to take pictures of algae and intertidal animals on this wonderful low tide. The main algal biomass covering the rocky intertidal area was Egregia, Alaria, and Laminaria...
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  • Overview showing the rock where we found the sea cucumbers.
  • This is the rock where we saw the Sea Cucumbers.
  • Three Sea Cucumbers in a crevice of a rock on Five Mile Point
  • Red Sponge, probably a Plocamia species.
  • Aplidium solidum,a cream colored tunicate with light brown spots. The common name is "Red Tunicate" but the colors can range from red to almost white.
  • Schizoporella unicornis or Orange encrusting bryozoan, a common bryozoan that was introduced with oysters from Japan. This bryozoan can be cream colored to orange in color.
  • Red Tube Worms, Serpula vermicularis, has bright red gills that are retracted in this picture. When the animal dies, these tubes often end up in the driftline.
  • The orange animal in the middle is a Fused Orange Social Tunicate, Metandrocarpa dura. The pink feathery-looking algae that is growing out of the tunicate is Corallina. The darker brown algae near the top of the tunicate is Mazzaella, a red algae.
April 19, 2007 - Foggy
Very moderate human use (14) considering the super-low tide. Four collecting mussels, a couple others clamming, five tidepooling and two walking. Four dogs. Typical Spring drifts of very small...
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  • Seven Harbor seals hauled out on offshore rocks just off Fivemile Point.
  • Heading out to edge of surf on a super-low -1.9 tide
  • Neighborhood gang of seagulls congregating on the top of an offshore rock, on this day of heavy surf.
  • Fivemile Point has some fairly large near-shore rocks which are well exposed only at very low tides. You can see these rocks all the way from South Cove, Cape Arago.
  • Gorse, <em>Ulex europaea</em>, has some truly wicked thorns, seen here in closeup. It also has a rather attractive deep yellow blossom, but please, don't plant it in your garden.
  • Scenic view from Fivemile Point looking north across Merchants Beach and Seven Devils Wayside.
  • Macro shot of very small Velella. Foreground is a penny.
  • Beach Pea, <em>Lathyrus japonicus</em>
  • View of Whisky Run Beach at very low tide, looking south along Bullards Beach almost to Bandon. Whisky Run (the creek) at far left. You can see how gorse (yellow) completely dominates the bluffs.
  • Small (18") Red Snapper found by Pam Smith on Mile 107
March 16, 2007 - [email protected]
Beach clean of all but very small detritus in driftline. One 18 foot fiber glass boat piece (broken up)at north end of Mile 109. Small rocks, wood pieces, plastic pellets and sytrofoam in driftline...
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January 28, 2007 - Foggy
Heavy human (33), dog (8) and vehicle (17) use, on a beautiful day. 55-gallon drum of old oil half buried in sand, reported to Robin Sears, Parks South Coast Ranger. Piece of hull of fiberglass boat...
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  • Rusty drum of what looked like used engine oil, with a hole poked in the side.
  • Bottom layer of bow section of fiberglass boat
  • A typical view of Whisky Run Beach, looking north to Fivemile Point

2006

September 29, 2006 - Foggy
5 gal bucket of (looks like) used engine oil. Sand build-up in small new dunes.
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  • Skeleton and hide of (probably) a sealion
  • 5 gal plastic bucket of probably old engine oil, dumped on beach very close to high tide line
  • Typical 4WD vehicle in allowed area on beach
May 3, 2006 - Foggy
Recreational gold mining in Whisky Run. New build-up of sand covering many anemones. A few Velella velella on beach. Foraging sea birds. One pickup on beach within allowed area. Low human impact (...
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  • "shell" of a Velella
February 8, 2006 - Foggy
Lots of trash on beach south of Fivemile Point; very little north. A few very large new stumps clustered near access.
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  • Large patches of wood debris washed down rivers from recent storms
  • Foredune erosion from storms, just south of Whisky Run access

2005

September 28, 2005 - Foggy
Light human use (9)
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  • Profile of Fivemile Point from just north, the south end of Merchant's Beach
  • Unusual 50-ft tall sentinel rock