Mile 109 - Whisky Run, Fivemile Pt, south end Merchants Beach - July 6, 2009

Report Details

Summer sand build up along entire beach. Whimbrels; swallows at play; goldfinches; one pelican among dozens of gulls. Raccoon tracks on beach. One chunk of encrusting sponge. (See photos for a cross-section.) Light human use: 4 vehicles on beach, a few people, 1 dog. Very scant driftline contents of shells and small rocks.

Conditions

Temperature: 69 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 3.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 11. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 4. Playing in sand: 3. Surfing: 1.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 4. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 4.

Notable Wildlife

4 Whimbrels browsing the driftline. A few Swallows in the updrafts next to the cliffs, one was playing catch-and-release with a piece of tissue in mid-air. Turkey vulture. Goldfinches in gorse/beachgrass. One pelican among the dozens of gulls.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. 1 old skeleton, probably gull.

Driftline Content

Shells, Small rocks.

Man-made Modifications

Bandon Dunes has cut gorse to ground right up to edge of bluff