October 11, 2008

Lots of people (20-2 walking, 8 rockhunting, 2 windsurfing, 2 riding horses and 2 panning for gold), dogs (4), and vehicles (8) on this sunny Saturday afternoon.

Report Details

Lots of people (20-2 walking, 8 rockhunting, 2 windsurfing, 2 riding horses and 2 panning for gold), dogs (4), and vehicles (8) on this sunny Saturday afternoon. Very clean beach; almost no trash of any kind. Lots of sand has built up over the summer, as usual. Small streams of runoff from cliff and the golf course at the top of the bluff were crystal-clear, and streambeds were clean. Innumerable piles of kelp -- probably normal for Fall. Shells, kelp/algae (Postelsia, Egregia and others), Eelgrass (Zostera), small rocks and many feathers in the driftline. Seven Semipalmated Plovers and gulls on beach. Cormorants on offshore rocks. Rockweed isopod observed on beach.

Conditions

Temperature: 57 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 3.5 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 20. Number of dogs: 4. Walking or running: 2. Windsurfing: 2. Other Activities: 2 riding horses, 2 panning for gold.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 5. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 8.

Notable Wildlife

7 plovers (semipalmated?), gulls, cormorants on rocks. Rockweed isopod (Idotea wosnesenskii, see photo). No seals on offshore rocks.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Small rocks. Many brown+white feathers, but no dead birds, so probably just molting.

Actions & Comments

Many small and large piles of kelp (Nereocystis). Occasional clumps of Postelsia, Egregia, Zostera, others unidentified.