Mile 202 Report
North Spit Alsea River
March 22, 2020
Spring Break Sunday on Mile 202.
Report Details
Spring Break Sunday on Mile 202. I saw only 25 people on my walk south beginning at 11:15 a.m., but more were arriving by the time I ended my walk back at the Bayshore Beach Club beach entrance at 12:45 p.m. Except for two groups of four people each (children and adults, sitting close to each other, not the 6 foot social distancing recommended for COVID-19), people were in singles or pairs, keeping to themselves on the beach as they usually do.
Conditions
Temperature: 48 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 6.8 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 25. Number of dogs: 18. Walking or running: 16. Sitting: 8. Fishing: 1.
Concerns
Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs
Notable Wildlife
Approximately 10 Western Snowy Plovers were standing in a loose group located at Latitude: 44.42569613456726 Longitude: -124.08244245685637, in the same area as my previous two walks (see photo and previous Mile Reports). As I was starting to continue past the plovers, two people with a smallish low-energy dog at their side walked through the plover area. Approx half of the plovers flew about 20-30 feet toward the surf and alighted and hunkered down in the sand (see photo). I don't think the other plovers moved. Neither the people nor the dog seemed to notice the plovers, which are easy to miss. When I returned back up the beach, the plovers were at their approx location as before. When I first saw the plovers, a larger, solitary shorebird (a Red Knot?) was with them but walked away quickly toward the dunes as I approached. Also seen on this walk were two Black-Bellied Plovers flying along the surf. Only 3 gulls seen flying, and one crow, but a lot of gulls were gathered around crabbing boats in the bay.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 2. 2 very weathered immature gull carcasses
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Shells, Wood pieces. The beach was very clean, just one new discarded soda pop can.
Natural Changes
New sand deposits in places (see photo)
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