June 21, 2008

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 0.0 feet.

Number of people: 3. Walking or running: 2. Other Activities: 1 USFS plover biologist. Nothing unusual. Plover biologist drove by in truck. A couple of cars in day use area parking area.

One immature bald eagle. Lots pelicans and other birds flying over the breakers. Most surprising: a half-dozen sea stars on sand just about to be re-covered by water (actually found them a little north of my mile, just inside Mile 158, plus Jack found a few on Mile 156). It was about two hours past a -1.2 low tide. All seemed to be the common pisaster ochraceus EXCEPT on VERY pink one the likes of which I'd never seen before! Apparently it was pisaster brevispinus, found on sandy/muddy sea floor usually subtidally, found on shore only at very low tides.

Total dead birds: 1. One dead pigeon guillemot

A fairly usual number of dead Dungeness and mole crabs.

Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells. half-dozen or more foam fishing floats. Unusual number of mussel shells with barnacles and sea palms attached.

High sand volume; no sign of boat

Most interesting was the number of sea stars, which we don't normally see at all, especially the pisaster brevispinus, shockingly pink and not a species I had ever seen, in my memory. It was a couple of hours past a minus tide (-1.2), but not as low a minus tide as earlier in the month. More bottles (mostly plastic) on the beach than usual. Very pleasant day for hiking. Also unsual: a dried coating of brownish-green scum of some kind that had apparently come in on the tide, been deposited, dried, and was now beginning to crumble, but it still left a discernable pattern in the tide line.