Mile 202 Report
North Spit Alsea River
April 23, 2022
There weren't many people on the beach for a Spring weekend, the day after Earth Day.
Report Details
There weren't many people on the beach for a Spring weekend, the day after Earth Day. A hazard warning was in effect for sneaker waves, and recent tides had run up high across the beach, but the surf was fairly calm, and no one seemed concerned. The week before, I had found this year's seventh Western Snowy Plover nest on Mile 202, the first six nests having previously failed, probably due to weather and predation. Using coordinates I had recorded the week before, I found this seventh nest, which had contained two eggs, now empty, and what looked like a crow track where the eggs had been. Despite the failed nest, it was another beautiful day on Mile 202. It's still early in the nesting season, and the birds whose nests have failed will keep trying.
Conditions
Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 2.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 20. Number of dogs: 6. Walking or running: 15. Playing in sand: 5.
Concerns
Litter
Apparent violations: No debris, just some huge dog poop which the owner hadn't bothered to pick up..Notable Wildlife
The usual gulls and crows, a lot of Western Snowy Plover and Corvid tracks, approximately ten Snowy Plovers seen
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells. Very little driftline content. Some squid eggs
Man-made Modifications
Dune modification/removal. A front end loader was dumping sand from around the beachfront houses on Oceania Drive back over the dunes, as allowed by permit. Sand accumulation west of the houses is allowed to be returned to the beach; sand on the east side of the houses must be hauled away.
Combined photo, Western Snowy Plover nest with 2 eggs on 4/17 and empty 4/23. Note what looks like a crow track 4/23 where eggs had been
Banded Snowy Plover, a bird that spent the winter here
Western Snowy Plover tracks
Mr. Crow announcing his prize, what looks like a chicken bone!
Why plovers think kites are predators
Front end loader dumping sand over dunes
Looking south beyond Alsea Bay to Cape Perpetua
Looking north to Seal Rock
Report Images
Jon French
CoastWatcher
All Mile 202 Reports
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
Today was the first windless day in awhile, shirtsleeve weather with a calm sea and a distinct marine layer offshore.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
Bayshore's HOA recently spent $2,500 for permits and bulldozing a path down to the beach behind the Bayshore clubhouse, a designated public access, smoothing out the drop-off resulting from winter erosion and restoring access for beach goers and our State Parks ranger's ATV.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
Mile 202 beach accesses and exits are now restricted because of erosion and sheering off of the sand cliffs along its northern portion, so I now need to plan for a receding tide if I want to walk the entire mile safely.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
After finding forty beached Cassin's Auklets on Jan.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
A beautifully calm, sunny day, maybe the last for awhile, with a fifteen mile view from Seal Rock to Cape Perpetua and hardly anyone on the beach except for two surf fishers and a couple valiantly trying to launch a kite with no wind.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
As I began yesterday's mile walk and monthly COASST beached bird survey, a light rain began to fall, the first in months.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
As I have done before, I combined today's walk with my monthly COASST survey for dead seabirds.
Jon French
Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
The beach was fairly cool today after 99 degrees two days ago.
Jon French