Mile 20 Report
Saddle Rock, Crook Point
September 7, 2011
Three boats seen drifting very close to offshore rocks.
Report Details
Three boats seen drifting very close to offshore rocks. Except for two deflated party balloons the north cove beach lacked a driftline. Sand had accumulated in the cove. Five Black Oystercatchers on northern rocks or flying over the bay. Yellow Sandverbena blooming along the west headland and middle beach area. Middle beach had a moderate to heavy driftline of 27 different genera of kelp/algae and Eelgrass and Surfgrass. The older drift was buried. Driftline invertebrates were Sea Pork Tunicate, Clubbed Compound Tunicate, Northern Kelp Crab, Red Rock Crab, Dungeness Crab; Spiny Leather Bryozoan, Bushy Bryozoan, and Bread Crumb Sponge. Forty Harbor Seals hauled out on a rock and several swimming in the bay. A flock of 14 Whimbrel and three Wandering Tattler on the beach. A red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon flying over the beach. Flocks of Double-crested Cormorants and Brown Pelican flying north. A Herrmann's Gull on a offshore rock. Tracks of deer, raccoon and river otter on the beach. One dead headless Common Murre and bones of a large Sea Lion. Wind speed of 2.2 mph. Air and ocean temperature of 56 and 54.7 degrees F, respectively.
Conditions
Temperature: 56 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SW.
Notable Wildlife
Five Black Oystercatchers on northern rocks or flying over the bay. Forty Harbor Seals hauled out on a rock and several swimming in the bay. A flock of 14 Whimbrel and three Wandering Tattler on the beach. A red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon flying over the beach. Flocks of Double-crested Cormorants and Brown Pelican flying north. A Herrmann's Gull on a rock offshore of the south beach. Tracks of deer, raccoon and river otter on the beach.
Beached Birds
One dead headless Common Murre.
Stranded Marine Mammals
Bones of a large Sea Lion.
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
One dead sea star, Piaster ochraceus.Many Sea Pork Tunicate, Aplidium.A few Clubbed Compound Tunicate, Distapalia. Three Northern Kelp Crab, Pugettia producta. Several Red Rock Crab, Cancer productus and Dungeness Crab, Cancer magister. Large numbers of Spiny Leather Bryozoan, Flustrellidra and a few Bushy Bryozoan, Tricellaria. A few Bread Crumb Sponge, Halichondra.
Driftline Content
Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt). Hydrozoa, crabs, sea star, tunicates, spiny leather bryozoan, sponges
Natural Changes
Sand accumulation along the entire beach.
Actions & Comments
The kelps and seaweeds found in the driftline were as follows: Mazzaella (Iridescent Seaweed), Cryptopleura (Ruffled Red Seaweed), Pterygophora (Old Growth Kelp), Lessoniopsis (Strap Kelp), Ahnfeltiopsis (Flat-tipped Forked Seaweed), Laminaria (Dense-clumped Kelp), Ptilota (Sea Fern), Microcladia (Course Sea Lace), Callophyllis (Beautiful Leaf Seaweed), Fucus (Rockweed), Cystoseira (Northern Bladder Chain), Nereocystis (Bull Kelp), Postelsia (Sea Palm), Mastocarpus (Turkish Washcloth), Pelvetiopsis (Little Rockweed), Microcystis (Small Giant Kelp), Cryptosiphonia (Dark-branched Tube Seaweed), Egregia (Feather Boa Kelp), Hymenena (Black-lined Red Seaweed), Saccharina (Sea Cabbage), Pleurophycus (Broad-rib Kelp), Serraticardia (Macmillian's Coral Seaweed), Neorhodomella (Black Larch), Alaria (Ribbon Kelp), Plocamium (Sea Braid), Gloiopeltis (Red-brown Mat Seaweed), Pterochondria (Cartilage-wing Seaweed). Zostera (Eelgrass) and Phyllospadix (Surfgrass) also in the driftline.Wind speed of 2.2 mph. Air and ocean temperatures of 56 and 54.7 degrees F, respectively.
Report Images
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