Mile 202 Report
North Spit Alsea River
October 26, 2020
The north wind was brisk today, with hardly anyone on the beach.
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The north wind was brisk today, with hardly anyone on the beach. On the southern portion of Mile 202, I counted a cluster of 17 Western Snowy Plovers, which winter here, all sheltering in ones and twos on the downwind side of beach vegetation which my new iNaturalist app "Seek" identified as American Searocket. The app is pretty neat, you just take a photo with your mobile phone, and within seconds an identification pops up on your screen. It can be hit and miss (it identified a raccoon photo as a "placental mammal"), but it's free and fun to use. Just one man in a small crabbing boat on the bay today, close to shore but not that far from the mouth of the bay, which they call "the jaws." The tide was going out, and they say you need to be especially careful here during outgoing tides because the current can be strong, and Alsea Bay has no jetty.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 4.5 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 8. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 7. Fishing: 1.
Notable Wildlife
17 Western Snowy Plovers, the usual line of gulls sitting on the beach at Alsea Bay
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 1. A decomposed headless bird, maybe a Common Murre?
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt).
Natural Changes
The soft sand beach was very smooth from the winds and blowing sand.
Western Snowy Plover sheltering from north wind
3 Western Snowy Plovers sheltering from north wind
American Searocket beach vegetation
Smooth sand beach
Gulls at edge of Alsea Bay
Lone crabber, Alsea Bay
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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