Mile 109 - Whisky Run, Fivemile Pt, south end Merchants Beach - March 31, 2011

Report Details

Spring has sprung! Gorse is in bloom; a new generation of mussels, periwinkles, and Pelvetiopsis (rockweed) have appeared on intertidal rocks. Very light human use (3) on a warm but foggy day with extremely limited visibility. Unusual currents have eroded sand and formed a patch of gravel/shells in a new location just south of the point -- nearby bedrock is exposed, waiting for its first residents in a long time.

Conditions

Temperature: 62 F. Cloud Cover: Foggy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 2.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 3. Number of dogs: 2. Walking or running: 2. "3" people is very much a guess -- fog limited visibility to about 200 feet -- but I didn't hear any vehicles either, so it's likely there really were very few people.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 2. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 1.

Notable Wildlife

The normal suspects: Sanderlings, gulls, Harlequin Ducks, Turkey vulture. A pair of Surf Scoters in protected water just offshore.

Driftline Content

Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Shells, Small rocks. One patch of gravel had a great selection of shells.