Mile 157 Report
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
September 23, 2007
Beautiful early fall day at the beach with my friend Jim Weber; no one else on the beach, and interesting wrack, including at least nine dead birds, lots of dead crabs and crab parts, and other flora/fauna (and bits of garbage such as a few plastic bottles and lengths of frayed rope) that seem to have come from local sources, not blown in from the Eastern Garbage Patch.
Report Details
Beautiful early fall day at the beach with my friend Jim Weber; no one else on the beach, and interesting wrack, including at least nine dead birds, lots of dead crabs and crab parts, and other flora/fauna (and bits of garbage such as a few plastic bottles and lengths of frayed rope) that seem to have come from local sources, not blown in from the Eastern Garbage Patch. A glide of pelicans and a few sanderlings--otherwise not much bird life.
Conditions
Temperature: 65 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: W. Tide Level: 7.0 feet.
Human Activities
A beautiful day at the beach and no one there. Just one older couple at the trailhead contemplating whether to walk to the beach or not, and a couple with three kids at the oxbow.
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 1.
Notable Wildlife
Six pelicans, a few gulls, a couple dozen sanderlings. A few piles of kelp but not many.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 9. There were probably others I didn't find. All were well scavenged. I'm guessing at least five were common murres or other auks; the rest were larger and had wings for soaring. Shearwater? Fulmar? I did not have my dead bird field guide with me.
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
Unusual concentration. Lots of dead crabs and crab molt. One live crab that had dug in to the sand (that we "rescued," maybe...) Coolest find: a chunk of shale with two piddock clams dug into it. Had often seen the holes they leave but never the clams themselves, in situ. (see photo)
Driftline Content
Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells. Most wrack was natural and from local sources ( not from "the patch")
Actions & Comments
Sand volume very high (no sign of fishing boat). A deer and a bear beat us to the beach this morning (judging from beautiful tracks). Much wrack appeared to have been on the beach all summer--many crab backs bleached to white, and kelp dried to a leathery orange and white. More sea palms than kelp on the beach. A beautiful fall day. Thanks for the company, Jim!!
Report Images
bzenderson
CoastWatcher
All Mile 157 Reports
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
It was another beautiful day on Mile 157, which we entered from the upper part of the Oregon Dunes Loop Trail.
GasiorowskiM
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
Mile 157 is a beautiful, little-visited stretch of coastline.
GasiorowskiM
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
Beautiful New Years Day at the beach, while it was cold and foggy in the valley.
bzenderson
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
A rainy day; we had the beach to ourselves.
bzenderson
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
Gorgeous day at the beach (crappy and cloudy and cold in Eugene).
bzenderson
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
There is a lot of buzz about whether the stuff on the beaches these days is from the tsunami.
bzenderson
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
Fair amount of ocean-borne debris, but unlike my last walk here about a month earlier, when the debris was d0ominated by Japanese plastic bottles (tsunami debris?
bzenderson
Mile 157
Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Perkins Lake
Stunning winter day; we were totally overdressed, kept shedding clothes to the brink of immodesty.
bzenderson