November 23, 2015

Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: W.

Number of people: 12. Number of dogs: 2. I hiked along the limited backshore south from the north neptune parking lot and around 11:45 am two gentlemen started down to the beach, down the stairs from the Cummins Creek picnic area, but thinking better of it, they quickly retreated. I hiked south 'til I hit a chasm, somewhat impassable at this tide level, which was falling from 9.5' earlier in the morning. This was close to the south end of the mile so I turned around here. I almost immediately saw two older gents and a dog, which kind of surprised me because the terrain is fairly rough in that southern 1/3. I never did discern what they were doing, perhaps looking for agates? The only human stuff I saw in the southern 1/3 was some wrecked commercial crab gear washed up in the rocks. I didn't see any other people until a family of three ventured out onto the reef on the south side of Gwynn Creek at about 2:30 pm. They didn't last long out there. About 3 pm, as I was leaving, two vehicles arrived at the north parking lot - a family of two with a dog (they climbed the hill overlooking Gwynn Creek), and a party of two (they took the trail down to the beach). That's all the humans I saw.

In the rocks and pools on the southern 1/3, south of Cummins Creek: lots of Anthopleura elegantissima, A. xanthogrammica, a few A. artemesia. Nice lush growth of Pelvetiopsis (see photo). Cummins Creek: lots of gulls, loafing and drinking. North, off the reef on the south bank of Gwynn Creek, near the north parking lot: 2 harbor seals, 5 surfbirds on the reef, the tide pools were looking kind of poor, but plenty of large A. xanthogrammica, hermit crabs and other typical stuff. There were a few large Pisaster and not too much Lepas anatifera overgrowth, but it was noticeable in places.

Beach was noticeably free of carrion

Beach was noticeably free of carrion

Not unusual, but sand levels have been on the decline for a while now, exposing dead acorn barnacles that have not survived months of burial. On the rocks this looks like a white band about two - three feet wide extending. up from the sand (see photo). Drift Line full of cellophane tube worm casings, probably Spiochaetopterus costarum (see photo), but this may be a molt phenomenon, rather than a mortality event.

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). The drift line was dominated by Sitka spruce needles and cellophane tube worm casings, probably Spiochaetopterus costarum.

Steps down bluff. Nothing really new, just the usual signs of erosion at the base, at both the north parking lot and Cummins creek picnic area.

Nothing new, just the usual erosion of sandy bluffs, most evident in the southern 1/3, but also noticeable south of Gwynn Creek, near the north parking lot.