Mile 202 Report
February 14, 2020
Fewer Western Snowy Plovers this walk than on 1/30/2020, approximately 20 total today (30-40 last visit) in two clusters south of beach access 67D (beyond the landmark driftwood in the attached photo and before the steep sand bluffs).
Report Details
Fewer Western Snowy Plovers this walk than on 1/30/2020, approximately 20 total today (30-40 last visit) in two clusters south of beach access 67D (beyond the landmark driftwood in the attached photo and before the steep sand bluffs). On my previous walk, the plovers were about a quarter of a mile further north, but that section of beach has been smoothed over by new sand/wind, and the plovers seem to prefer some roughness/undulations in the sand.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Tide Level: 1.1 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 6. Number of dogs: 6. Walking or running: 4. Playing in sand: 2.
Notable Wildlife
Two clusters of 8-10 Western Snowy Plovers per group (see Summary and photos). A few crows and gulls.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 2. Gulls. One dead bird was scavenged on by crow and/or gull while I walked the beach (see before and after photos)
Driftline Content
Shells, Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Styrofoam, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Plastic bottles, styrofoam, crabbing float, which I removed. The plastic water bottles were domestic origin (Arrowhead, Kroeger, etc), not Asian origin like last time.
Man-made Modifications
Dune modification/removal. A new sand dump resulting from removal of sand on Oceania Drive.
Natural Changes
The new dusting of sand on the southern steep sand bluffs from my visit on 1/30/2020 has now been scoured out by winds, and the layers of previous sand deposits forming the sand bluffs are visible in places.
Report Images
All Mile 202 Reports
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Mile 202 beach accesses and exits are now restricted because of erosion and sheering off of the sand cliffs along its northern portion, so I now need to plan for a receding tide if I want to walk the entire mile safely.
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A beautifully calm, sunny day, maybe the last for awhile, with a fifteen mile view from Seal Rock to Cape Perpetua and hardly anyone on the beach except for two surf fishers and a couple valiantly trying to launch a kite with no wind.
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As I began yesterday's mile walk and monthly COASST beached bird survey, a light rain began to fall, the first in months.
Jon French
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As I have done before, I combined today's walk with my monthly COASST survey for dead seabirds.
Jon French
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This was my second monthly beached bird survey for COASST (Coastal Observation And Seabird Survey Team) which I combined with my mile walk.
Jon French
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A dead certacean was reported to the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network to be on the beach in Bayshore Oregon by Beach Entrance 67d.
JLcoasties