November 18, 2008

Temperature: 62 F.

Number of people: 1. Other Activities: Flying paraglider, low over beach. We heard a loud sound like a motorcycle at 12:19 pm and looked up and saw a paraglider coming directly towards us from the northwest. I started taking pictures, but as he got closer, it looked like he was going to run into us or crash. He was flying very low, only three or four feet above the sand, and he did not change his course away from us as he got closer to us. We were concerned that we were going to be hit or he was going to crash his paraglider and moved quickly to avoid being in an accident. Then we turned and watched him fly around some rocks. He continued to fly southeast down the beach so low that it appeared that he was going to land on the beach, but his parasail continued to be full. Then he went around the south rocky point and disappeared. He quickly reappeared up higher in the sky and flew up over the south point flying northwest towards us. He continued towards us at the surf edge and was still very low. He passed us and then continued northwest but then turned inland or to the north and disappeared. However, we still could hear the engine. Then we saw him coming back towards us above the refuge. He swung down over the beach again, barely missing the tree tops and flew back up over the refuge and then repeated that same pattern. Then he flew northwest between Saddle Rock and Crook Point over the water. Our last picture was taken at 12:25 pm.

2 Black Oystercatchers, Double-crested Cormorants, 40 Harbor Seals resting on rocks and swimming in bay. Tracks of deer, River Otter, raccoon, coyote, fox and Harbor Seal on the beach. Large Bumble bee on Sea Rocket plant.

Total dead birds: 4. 4 Common Murre Two dead Common Murre appeared to have been eaten by a raptor (possible Peregrine by the foot print size). Owl pellet with small bird bones found on Crook Point headland.

Seaweeds and seagrass, Small rocks, Wood pieces. See General Comment

See General Comment.

Reported low-flying paraglider to State Parks and USFW. Recent erosion: Heavy rains washed out sand from gullies. Sand removed from south beach exposing large rocks. Sand accumulation on middle beach covering cobble patches. Large amount of drift logs at south end of mile.Driftline content: Empty Raja binoculata (Big Skate)egg case, Leather Bryozoan (Flustrellidra), Hydrozoa, Sea Pork (Aplidium), Sponges (Clathria), Moon Jellies (Aurelia species), Stalked Tunicate (Steyla), Gum-boot Chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri), one auto tire, clumps of surf grass (Phyllospadix), Postelsia palmaeformis (Sea Palm), Fucus (Rockweed), Egregia (Feather Boa Kelp), Nereocystis (Bull Kelp), Cryptopleura (Ruffled Red Seaweed), Pterygophora (Old Growth Kelp), Hymenena (Black-lined Red Seaweed), Ahnfeltia (Wiry Forked Seaweed), Rhodymenia (Pacific Rose Seaweed), Cryptosiphonia (Dark Branching-tube Seaweed), Mazzaella (Iridescent Seaweed), Cystoseira (Northern Bladder Chain), Callophyllis (Beautiful Leaf Seaweed), Ptilota (Sea Fern), Saccharina (Sea Cabbage), Alaria (Ribbon Kelp), Lessoniopsis (Strap Kelp), Constantinea (Cup and Saucer Seaweed), Osmundea (Sea Laurel), Opuntiella (Prickly Pear Seaweed), Mastocarpus papillatus (Turkish Washcloth), Kallymeniopsis, Serraticardia, and Pelvetiopsis limitata (Little Rockweed).