Mile 110 - Merchants Beach, Seven Devils State Wayside - September 1, 2008

Report Details

Visited the mile on Labor Day morning and found many folks and dogs enjoying the beach and water. Weather was warm and sunny with little wind. People tend to cluster around Seven Devils Wayside and very few walk the beach. Sign of the times? Beach was clean of debris, had lots of birds foraging in the water, on the shoreline and moving in response to humans. Shells, animal casings, kelp/algae, small rocks, wood pieces in driftline. Two dead gulls and two dead sea lions on beach. Ocean pushing sand up to the bluffs and large dunes formed. Signage for Oregon Coast Trail is needed to mark beach entrance. Moderate human impact (20)- 4 walking, 10 playing in sand and 6 sitting. On the downside, two very obnoxious ultra-light planes were buzzing the beach 20-30 feet off the ground. Very annoying and is this legal? A great day for enjoying the Oregon beach and a very good reason to live in Oregon and close to the ocean shore.

Conditions

Temperature: 54 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 1.1 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 20. Number of dogs: 12. Walking or running: 4. Playing in sand: 10. Sitting: 6. Noted no vehicles or tracks in off-limits portion of the beach

Concerns

Fire

Apparent violations: one beach campfire -appeared to be safe. no other problems noted..

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 11. RVs/Buses parking: 1.

Notable Wildlife

Noted nothing noteable.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 2. Noted two dead common gulls in shoreline. No bands noted

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Noted two dead sea lions- one small and the other medium. Had been on the beach for several days. No tags or markings noted.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Shells, Small rocks, Wood pieces. Noted very little litter on beach or in shoreline

Man-made Modifications

None noted

Natural Changes

Appears ocean is pushing sand up to the bluffs again. Large dunes being formed during the summer.

Actions & Comments

No problems noted that would require immediate attention. Noted that signage for the Oregon Coast Trail is still missing on the beach shore. Need a sign for hikers to know where to take off from the beach to the trail. State Parks?