Mile 300 Report
September 5, 2009
This is a heavily used beach, particularly on these holiday weekends, but it manages to stay reasonably clean.
Report Details
This is a heavily used beach, particularly on these holiday weekends, but it manages to stay reasonably clean. Every drift-log is typically heavily torched from campfires, making for a bit of an eyesore. Almost all dogs are off-leash on the beach, but I didn't notice any chasing birds (mostly from the lack of birds to be chased). No sighting of the bald eagle that I've noticed on prior reports this time.
Conditions
Temperature: 65 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: S. Tide Level: 1.2 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 146. Number of dogs: 20. Walking or running: 80. Playing in surf: 10. Playing in sand: 10. Sitting: 40. Surfing: 4. Windsurfing: 2. Many long paths of horse droppings along the driftline. Obviously from more than one horse. I don't know if the horse-riding companies are still operational down here, but someone's obviously not picking up after their horses along the way. Perhaps we can extend the "pick up after your dogs" signs with a horse reminder as well?
Vehicles
Notable Wildlife
A few dozen brown pelicans noted fishing about 100 yards offshore. Surprisingly few gulls or other birds on the shore for a sunny warm day. Perhaps the Labor Day crowd is keeping them away. Two groups of cormorants flew overhead -- maybe 30 altogether.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 1. 1 dead gull. No sign of entanglement or being run over.
Stranded Marine Mammals
None
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
1 dead fish about the size of a sardine. A salmon smolt maybe?
Driftline Content
Seaweeds and seagrass, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.). Large logs (3 feet wide, 20 feet long) noted in the surf with several boards nailed to them. Perhaps part of a washed away dock
Man-made Modifications
Nothing new noted. This place is smothered in European beachgrass already though.
Actions & Comments
Overall, people treat the beach pretty well here. No noticeable accumulations of trash, even with the holiday crowd. The large logs in the surf pose a safety hazard, but it appears everyone is smart enough to stay away from them. As I recall, the horseback riding along the beach is under some sort of legal revisit/review? I wouldn't mind them as long as they keep their speed to a safe level (which they do) and they picked up after themselves (which they don't).
All Mile 300 Reports
Mile 300
More than 30 mid-sized, dead birds of what looked like the same species and one sea gull and one crow. Not too much sea plastic - I picked up some of it. Large burnt stumps and logs were rolling around in the high tide. Farther south, the ocean has removed the dune and some of the paths end in a sand cliff now.
Lisa Lucas
Mile 300
We had big storms the past few days! On just mile 300 there were at least 11 deceased Cassin's auklet. All the locals were talking about it.
Michelle Schwegmann
Mile 300
It was a beautiful morning on the last day of the "bonus" king tides in November. The biggest shock was finding a deceased Peregrine Falcon!
Schwegmann