September 11, 2009

This was a spectacular day on the central Oregon coast, and we saw lots of people enjoying it in a variety of ways (sitting, walking, horseback riding, flying, fishing offshore).

Report Details

This was a spectacular day on the central Oregon coast, and we saw lots of people enjoying it in a variety of ways (sitting, walking, horseback riding, flying, fishing offshore). The 30 people we saw on our mile were many more than usual. There were also a lot more vehicle tracks than usual; they stretched from the surfline to the foredune. The beach was very clean, and we did not find anything unusual.

Conditions

Temperature: 70 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 3.5 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 35. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 20. Playing in surf: 1. Playing in sand: 5. Sitting: 4. Other Activities: 2 driving, 3 on horses. 3 people were on horseback; fewer dogs [3] than we would have expected for the number of people; 3 ultralight aircraft and 2 helicopters flew over the beach [not counted in people total]; one dory offshore [not counted in people total]; lots of vehicle tracks from surf to foredune

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 8. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 1.

Notable Wildlife

pelicans offshore; gulls, raven, and shorebirds [only 2 loners]

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. common murre

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

A few dead sea nettles were on the beach.

Driftline Content

Driftline was essentially absent; overall, the beach was very clean.

Actions & Comments

Most of this mile is part of Bob Straub State Park.