Mile 202 Dispatch
March 23, 2022
by Jon French
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Squid boat lights at duskOffshore, Mile 202/203March 22, 2022
Squid boat in fog probably returning to NewportOffshore, Mile 202/203March 23, 2022
Other Mile 202 Reports (50)
2023
January 23, 2023 - Jon French
Since my last Mile 202 walk in mid December, King Tides and storms have deposited a large amount of driftwood up and down the beach and have eroded portions of the foredune along the more narrow...
2022
December 13, 2022 - Jon French
I entered the beach hoping to find and count the Western Snowy Plovers that winter here. I encountered the flock spread out loosely over about fifty yards near the wet sand line. A dying Snowy Plover...
October 12, 2022 - Jon French
This was my first Mile 202 walk since the end of Snowy Plover nesting season in September. Of twenty-six documented Snowy Plover nesting attempts in Lincoln County this year, seven chicks were known...
July 21, 2022 - Jon French
Every day now for over a week, I and two other U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service volunteers, along with our local State Parks Ranger, have been monitoring three active Western Snowy Plover nests near...
May 25, 2022 - Jon French
I walked today with my fellow CoastWatcher and Plover Patrol volunteer Nancy Thomas. A few days before, I had helped our Beach Ranger, Doug Sestrich, put up protective rope enclosures around Snowy...
May 1, 2022 - Jon French
As I entered the beach at access 67D with my fellow CoastWatcher Nancy Thomas, we saw a Bald Eagle sitting on a carcass. We approached the carcass, about 8' long, a marine mammal which we later...
April 23, 2022 - Jon French
There weren't many people on the beach for a Spring weekend, the day after Earth Day. A hazard warning was in effect for sneaker waves, and recent tides had run up high across the beach, but the surf...
April 1, 2022 - Jon French
I walked Mile 202 today with fellow CoastWatcher and U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Plover Patrol volunteer Nancy Thomas. We spent the afternoon zig zagging up and down the beach for about four...
January 14, 2022 - Jon French
A beautiful day on Mile 202, with sunlight refracting through the clouds making the sun look huge. Recent storms have caused some erosion but have also brought in new sand, so much that the "landmark...
2021
December 4, 2021 - Jon French
I don't often walk the beach when it's so windy, but I wanted to get in a final walk before my hip replacement on Tuesday. I got on the beach shortly after the morning's King Tide, which wasn't that...
October 27, 2021 - Jon French
I have reported before on the problems of erosion and sand accumulation along the southern portion of NW Oceania Drive paralleling Mile 202's Bayshore Beach. Houses on the seaward side of the street...
October 13, 2021 - Jon French
With the November 2nd election approaching, yard signs are up on Oceania Drive, which parallel's Mile 202's Bayshore Beach, supporting and opposing Lincoln County ballot initiative 21-203, which...
July 31, 2021 - Jon French
The fog and north wind of the past few days eased this morning, and although there was no sun to speak of, plenty of people and their dogs were out enjoying the beach.This year's Western Snowy Plover...
July 21, 2021 - JLcoasties
Possible dead Harbour Seal with ODFW tag. This was reported to Jim Rice at the OSU Marine Mammal Institute
April 25, 2021 - Jon French
At the Bayshore Beach Club beach access, I posted a "Snowy Plovers Are Here!" sign, then walked down to where two plover nests had recently been discovered and roped off. There were no birds at...
March 26, 2021 - Jon French
My wife and I joined our neighbor Nancy Thomas and her husband for today's walk. Nancy is a fellow CoastWatch (Mile 203) and Plover Patrol volunteer and today was doing a survey for beached birds for...
January 19, 2021 - Jon French
A sunny but somber morning on Mile 202, the ocean fairly calm after last week's storms, King Tides, and beach hazard warnings. Last Friday afternoon, a local resident, Toni Goessman, age 60, didn't...
2020
December 29, 2020 - Jon French
The most striking thing about today's walk on mile 202, the north spit of Alsea River, was the contrast between 202 and its northward extension, 203. After recent storms and King Tides, the driftline...
November 15, 2020 - Jon French
Alsea Bay was fairly calm at noon for today's 8.985' King Tide, but on the ocean side the surf was high and roiled up after last night's rain and 60-plus mph wind gusts. This what it looked like,...
October 26, 2020 - Jon French
The north wind was brisk today, with hardly anyone on the beach. On the southern portion of Mile 202, I counted a cluster of 17 Western Snowy Plovers, which winter here, all sheltering in ones and...
September 26, 2020 - Jon French
After the recent storms, I was surprised not to find any marine debris of human origin. Instead, along the driftline were hundreds of strange little jelly like pods with tiny tails. After a lot of...
August 20, 2020 - Jon French
I planned my walk hoping to reach the northern tip of Alsea Spit around 8:45 a.m. for the predicted low tide of -1.05. I thought it would be an easy walk over flat sand but hadn't counted on the...
August 2, 2020 - Jon French
The only known snowy plover nest this year on Mile 202 failed. Of the fourteen known plover nests located and monitored this year between Seal Rock and Patterson Memorial Recreation Site just south...
July 22, 2020 - Jon French
"Snowy Plovers are Here!" announces the children's artwork sign posted by Beach Ranger Doug Sestrich at the Bayshore Beach Club beach access just north of a new Western Snowy Plover nest. See photos...
July 6, 2020 - Jon French
The Morning After -- July 5th here in Bayshore, on an otherwise beautiful weekend, means residents spending hours beginning to clean up the fireworks debris left by the few thoughtless holiday...
May 9, 2020 - Jon French
Ospreys atop nest platform, Bayshore Beach Club parking lot. Osprey couple settling in atop a very exposed nest platform I didn't think would be occupied. Now for a little work on that nest!
May 1, 2020 - Jon French
Another beautiful day on Mile 202. I watched a flock of 18 whimbrels feeding along the shoreline, probably migrants headed north to breed on the tundra. Someone in the past attached an osprey nest...
April 20, 2020 - Jon French
No Western Snowy Plovers were seen this visit, but extensive plover tracks were seen in the dry sand near the sloping dunes when walking south down the beach. See attached photos. The plover tracks...
April 13, 2020 - Jon French
No snowy plovers today, and very few birds at all. Plover sightings have declined from 30-40 individuals during my walk on 1/30/2020, to approx 20 on 2/14, to 12-14 on 3/4, to 10 on 3/22, to 6 on 3/...
March 31, 2020 - Jon French
Very little human activity today. Short-term vacation rentals at Bayshore have now been banned due to COVID-19.
March 22, 2020 - Jon French
Spring Break Sunday on Mile 202. I saw only 25 people on my walk south beginning at 11:15 a.m., but more were arriving by the time I ended my walk back at the Bayshore Beach Club beach entrance at...
March 4, 2020 - Jon French
The 12-14 Plovers were seen in approximate area as on my 2-14-2020 walk, in the dry sand south of 67D beach entrance and landmark driftwood, located now precisely with Polaris navigation app and Bing...
February 14, 2020 - Jon French
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...
January 30, 2020 - Jon French
Another beautiful walk on Mile 202, highlighted by seeing 30-40 Western Snowy Plovers scattered along the upper portions of the sand perhaps 100 yards North and South of Beach Access 67C (Bayshore...
January 14, 2020 - Jon French
A chilly north wind but still beautiful on Mile 202, which I had virtually all to myself. I previously walked 202 on 12/30/19 and wanted to view any changes after a weekend of storms and King Tides...
2019
December 30, 2019 - Jon French
A beautiful morning on Mile 202. A beach hazard/sneaker wave warning was in effect, and I anticipated few people on the beach, but I encountered at least 60 people and perhaps half as many dogs,...
August 19, 2019 - samdel
A beautiful day at the Beach. Some days earlier a juvenile humpback whale was beached around the middle of mile 202. It was eventually euthanized and buried somewhere on mile 202.
2017
July 20, 2017 - unbound
During our beach cleanup on July 20, 2017 we saw 36 people and 7 dogs. Most people were walking, but it was a beautiful sunny day, so there were some folks who opted to checkout the surf and others...
2016
March 26, 2016 - unbound
A quiet, cloudy day on the Bayshore. We saw two families, grouped in 6 and 4, respectively, out walking on the beach. We found significantly more marine debris than usual, especially fishing-related...
2015
November 27, 2015 - unbound
Beautiful sunny day on the beach great for a post-holiday cleanup. Counted 27 humans and 9 dogs. Most individuals were walking, but noted one family sitting and observing. Picked up mostly plastic...
September 17, 2015 - unbound
Overall light human activity with 21 people and two dogs. We did not notice any unusual levels of trash or debris, but did pick up about a bag's worth. We found nine dead Common murres, possibly...
July 11, 2015 - unbound
A cloudy, overcast day on the Bayshore. The debris we found on the beach consisted mainly of the usual microplastics, Styrofoam, and fishing material along with picnic trash left from visitors....
February 16, 2015 - unbound
Beautiful President's Day on the Bayshore near Waldport, OR. Enjoyed a very sunny day with record high temps. Noted approximately 20 humans on beach - one family flying kites and playing in the surf...
January 19, 2015 - unbound
Due to several recent large storms, we noted a much-higher than normal amount of driftwood on the beach, especially towards the North Alsea River Spit. We also noted a higher amount of debris on the...
2014
October 26, 2014 - unbound
Several days of big wind and rainstorms brought lots of debris to mile 202/North Alsea Bay. We encountered a greater-than-usual amount of driftwood on the beach as well as big stumps and logs...
June 1, 2014 - unbound
Beautiful day for a beach cleanup. Lots of debris in the wrack line, particularly plastic. Found bottles, trash, buoys, micro plastic, straws, etc. Also found a lot of styrofoam and rope.Not a lot of...
2008
June 12, 2008 - dddurrett
Blue sky, sunshine(remember sunshine?)Another perfect day on Mile 202, very peaceful, and again, almost deserted. I posted a new seal pup sign at the entrance at Bashore Beach Club, I had info...
March 5, 2008 - dddurrett
A perfect day at the beach, blue sky and a cool breeze.I picked up very little litter. Sparce drift line with no garbage. I was approached by a couple from California and they couldn't believe how...
2007
November 5, 2007 - dddurrett
There was the normal amount of logs and tree debris for this time of year. I picked what little litter there was,(hooray-not one plastic water bottle!). After a good two hours on the beach it...
September 9, 2007 - dddurrett
Beautiful day but very few people on the beach for a Sunday.Very little litter, picked up 1 bag full. Found remnants of small drift wood fire.