Mile 202 Report
North Spit Alsea River
December 4, 2021
I don't often walk the beach when it's so windy, but I wanted to get in a final walk before my hip replacement on Tuesday.
Report Details
I don't often walk the beach when it's so windy, but I wanted to get in a final walk before my hip replacement on Tuesday. I got on the beach shortly after the morning's King Tide, which wasn't that high. The Windfinder station on Oceania Drive recorded gusts to 30 mph, but on the beach the wind had to be considerably higher. The early ethnographers wrote of an Alsea (Äl-si') village here, "Kyã-mai'-su," meaning "the wind comes from the ocean." The village has been replaced by vacation rentals and European Beachgrass, but the wind remains. Hundreds of gulls sat hunkered down beside the bay, and the wintering Snowy Plovers, with nowhere to shelter, moved about in the blowing sand. The sea was rough and choppy, but a few crab boats were working despite the weather. As in past years, now that the commercial crabbing season has begun, we see the boat lights out on the ocean at night, our holiday lights.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Strong. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 8.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 1. Walking or running: 1.
Notable Wildlife
Gulls along bay. I didn't see any wintering Snowy Plovers as I walked south along the dunes, but coming back mid-beach I encountered a group walking/running, then two groups that flew up from the sand then realighted, then another group that flew up from the sand, maybe 36 total. With the blowing sand, there weren't many places to hunker down and hide, so I think it was a fairly accurate count.
Driftline Content
With blowing sand, no obvious driftline.
Dunes and blowing sand
Beachgrass blowing in wind
Blowing sand
Looking towards Snowy Plover area. Photo was taken with sports-action setting but still blurry because of wind and blowing sand
Snowy Plover running in wind
Gulls hunkered down along Alsea Bay
Crab boat lights at dawn
Report Images
Jon French
CoastWatcher
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