Mile 171 - Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty - October 29, 2015

Report Details

While walking on the North Jetty Road enroute to the beach, a bobcat ran N-S across the road in front of me. Lots of new large and small driftwood on the beach, likely from the latest king tide flooding upstream. A large (4'x8'?) Styrofoam dock float is beached below the SW bluff at Harborview Campground. Can anyone ID these?? The wet beach is covered with a gazillion small (1/4"-1/2") clear football-shaped eggs/larvae with a black dot at one end. When squeezed, the tiny "football" seems firm and not squishy. I've never noticed these before. Occasional bull kelp strands, Cats-Eye comb jellies, migrating brown pelicans observed along the mile today.

Conditions

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

Human Activities

Number of people: 6. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 6. Photography: 1.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 8.

Notable Wildlife

Large flock (100+) of sanderlings feeding at surf edge.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. Common murre

Stranded Marine Mammals

Total stranded mammals: 1. Very dead sea lion carcass about 100 yards south of the Driftwood Shores complex. Probably the same one observed in same general location this spring, then buried by sand dune.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration. Gazillions of small (1/4 - 1/2")clear football-shaped eggs/nymphs/larvae? with a black dot at one end washed up on wet sand area. I haven't seen these before.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces. Lots of new river-sourced driftwood on beach from the recent king tide flooding upstream.