May 26, 2007

Temperature: 61 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: 0.0 feet.

Number of people: 10. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 4. Sitting: 4. Fishing: 2.

Saw a half dozen barn or tree swallows on the esturine part of Tahkenitch Creek about 3/4 upstream of the mouth of the creek.

Total dead birds: 2. Seagull and a common mure

Total stranded mammals: 1. Adult sealion carcass, approx. 7 feet long, missing the head, carcass was fairly rotted away. Found above the normal high tide line, half buried in the sand. Looked like it had been there for several weeks before I found it.

Several dozen whole dead crabs, many mole crabs, and frequent patches of an unusual fish carcass which was approx. 8" long, with spiny bones protruding outward like spines on a sea urchin and short, very fine dorsal fin bones running the entire length. Each one was entangled in a very narrow, snake like skin mass that often was entwined with small pieces or rope or little pieces of some netting. Very strange, I've never seen these before. My partner on mile 157 have many more, she is attempting to research what they might be (see her report the same date).

Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells, Small rocks, Wood pieces. One Skate egg case, two boards, a japanese detergent bottle, a few other plastic bottles

none

none

Very high volume of sand on beach. The foredune had almost no areas where there was a vertical face, the sand from the beach just transitions smoothly up into the foredune. I can't remember when there was this much sand on the beach so soon in the year. Must not have had any really nasty storms this past winter.