Report Details

Lots of bird activitiy on Heceta Beach today.  Two bald eagles, an osprey, the usual gaggle of turkey vultures, crows and ravens, sanderlings everywhere, several low-flying flocks of black turnstones heading north, a half dozen whimbrels, and a single Greater Yellowlegs (I think) with a long straight beak, tannish coloration, and noisy alarm calls as I walked by.  The alarm calls are apparently a distinquishing feature, according to my birding guide.The turkey vultures have reduced the previously reported necropsied sea lion to not much more than a rib cage and hide and they're still working on it.  Only a few fresh Velella velellas have washed ashore today.  The usual gaggle of harbor seals were out feeding in the near-shore surf.I've been walking Mile 171 for 12 years.  I went back and looked at older photos of the foredune at the south end of Mile 171 near the North Jetty Road parking lot.  The once straight-line fordune has now morphed into an upside-down "Y" shape, with a newer beachgrass-induced foredune building to the west of the original, joining together about 1/4 mile north of the jetty.  I'm guessing that since the sand can't migrate east anymore due to the beach grass, the beach is moving west ...

Conditions

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW.

Human Activities

Number of people: 5. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 2. Sitting: 3.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 3.

Notable Wildlife

Bald eagles, turkey vultures, harbor seals, sanderlings, whimbrels, greater yellowlegs (I think).

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces.

Share this post

All Mile 171 Reports

Showing 8 of 123 reports

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

February 1, 2022

Nice morning to exercise the dog on Heceta Beach.

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

March 9, 2021

Stunningly beautiful sunny morning for a beach stroll.

oldMGguy

decorative elemnt for a coastwatch report.

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

December 7, 2020

Huge stranding of brownish-red "Pacific Sea Nettle" (Chrysaora fuscescens) and Moon (Aurelia labiata) jellies all along Mile 171 and Mile 172 today.

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

November 23, 2020

Nice sunny afternoon for a stroll on Heceta Beach.

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

May 18, 2020

Whimbrels and sanderlings were feeding in the surf wash zone.

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

March 25, 2020

A nice morning walk today in the sunshine to practice my social distancing skills.

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

October 19, 2019

Another nice Saturday afternoon for a stroll on Heceta Beach!

oldMGguy

Mile 171

Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty

September 6, 2019

A nice quiet wind-free afternoon to stroll Heceta Beach after the summer crowds have dispersed.

oldMGguy