Mile 202 Report
North Spit Alsea River
March 26, 2021
My wife and I joined our neighbor Nancy Thomas and her husband for today's walk.
Report Details
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 COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team), the 20 year old citizen science project housed at the University of Washington. We didn't find any intact remains but came across a half-buried wing and partial skeleton, the excavation, cleaning, measuring, and documentation of which is shown in the attached photos. Nancy will submit a report to COASST, which will attempt to identify the remains. If anyone is interested in doing beached bird surveys, there are many available stretches of beach.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 6.5 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 30. Number of dogs: 8. Walking or running: 30.
Notable Wildlife
The usual hundred or so gulls sitting at the edge of Alsea Bay. A Bald Eagle over the bay. Only two Western Snowy Plovers seen today, a pair close together. Like last year at this time, it looks like the group of 30-40 plovers that winters here has begun to disburse for the nesting season.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 2. Wing and partial skeleton from one species; just a wing from another species. Nancy Thomas documented and reported to COASST
Driftline Content
Seaweeds and seagrass, Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Not too much debris, a couple of fishing floats, some nylon rope, etc
Man-made Modifications
Dune modification/removal. The usual dumping of sand by a Bobcat over the edge of the high dunes, relocating sand from around Oceania Drive houses and driveways to the beach. See photo.
Natural Changes
New sand accumulation on beach. See photo comparison of Landmark Driftwood a year ago and now; and see photo comparison of driftwood debris along bay between January 2021 and now, being partially covered by sand.
Report Images
Jon French
CoastWatcher
All Mile 202 Reports
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
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.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
After finding forty beached Cassin's Auklets on Jan.
Jon French
Mile 202
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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.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
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
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
As I have done before, I combined today's walk with my monthly COASST survey for dead seabirds.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
The beach was fairly cool today after 99 degrees two days ago.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
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
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
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