Mile 109 - Whisky Run, Fivemile Pt, south end Merchants Beach - June 4, 2011

Report Details

A beautiful day on Whisky Run, warm, clear, sharp horizon, almost no wind at all. Moderate use by 14 people and 4 dogs. Cow's clover, Monkeyflower, Pacific Silverweed, and American Beachgrass were in bloom. Kelp/algae, small rocks and ocean-based debris in the driftline. More than the usual number of dead sea stars on the beach. Osprey, Turkey Vultures, swallows, gulls, one Pelagic Cormorant and a Black Oystercatcher flying over the shore or on rocks. Eight Harbor Seals hauled out on offshore rock.

Conditions

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SE. Tide Level: -1.1 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 14. Number of dogs: 4. Walking or running: 8. Tidepooling: 2. Other Activities: 4 clamming.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 5. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 3.

Notable Wildlife

2 Osprey, 2 Turkey Vultures, swallows, gulls, 8 Harbor Seals on offshore rock, 1 Pelagic Cormorant, 20 Brown Pelicans headed north, heard but did not see Black Oystercatcher. Lots of sculpins hiding in shadows in tidepools. Looks like there's a new crop of acorn barnacles settled in on most mussels at lower tide levels (see photo).

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. 1 gull

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration. More than the normal number of Pisaster sea stars upside down on the sand, with lots of gull footprints alongside.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Small rocks. One short piece of the largest synthetic rope I've ever seen: about 3 inches in diameter.