Mile 97 Report
January 3, 2009
Forget quiet and fresh air on this part of the coast: the bulldozer is churning down the beach a mile and a half (very slowly, very loudly, belching obnoxious diesel fumes) to the snowy plover restoration area.
Report Details
Forget quiet and fresh air on this part of the coast: the bulldozer is churning down the beach a mile and a half (very slowly, very loudly, belching obnoxious diesel fumes) to the snowy plover restoration area. I can only hope those plovers huddled in the dozer's tracks from yesterday managed to vacate safely. It's too bad the operator can't leave the thing at his destination, rather than tear up the beach coming and going. That's an Oregon State Parks call, I guess.Otherwise, nothing notable to report -- apart from the continued presence offshore of fishing pelicans. It's hard to count them because they're beyond the breakers, but I'd guess there were at least 20 out today during my walk. Animal casings, small rocks, and Styrofoam in driftline. Snowy Plovers, Sanderlings and gulls foraging on wet sand. Low human impact (1) walking with one dog.
Conditions
Temperature: 40 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 4.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 1. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 1.
Notable Wildlife
Flocks of pelicans are still numerous along my stretch, mostly beyond the breakers while they search for food. Doing the same thing on the tide line are scattered Snowy Plovers, Sanderlings and gulls.
Driftline Content
Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Small rocks, Styrofoam.
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A nearly nonexistent driftline with just a few Chrysaora jellies and a few small rocks.
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A light diftline of a few Postelsia, some Fucus, Ulva, Hymenena and Nereocystis, crab molts, broken Sand Dollars, jellies, the Ctenophore, Pleurobrachia, the Tunicate, Salpa maxima and Phyllospadix, surfgrass.
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Sparse driftline of small rocks, a few shells and broken Sand Dollars, one clump of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis) and a few strands of Macrocystis.
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Shells, rocks, crab carapaces, a few kelp/algae, wood, green phytoplankton scum, broken sand dollars in driftline.
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Light driftline of many Ctenophores, small rocks, a few shells and crab carapaces, one Sea Star and pieces of the flowering plant, Lasthenia maritima.
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Light driftline with fresh water aquatic plants- Myriophyllum (Water Milfoil), terrestrial plant debris-stems, leaves and needles and saltwater plants, Phyllospadix (Surfgrass)and Eelgrass, Zostera.
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The beach consisted of a high ridge of accumulated sand with a six degree slope and lagoons in the runnel.
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