Mile 223 - Beverly Beach, Spencer Creek, Beverly Beach SP - February 13, 2022

Report Details

Probably less people on the beach than a usual low tide mid-Feb afternoon, due to cold, overcast, windy conditions, plus it was the Super Bowl. Everyone seemed to be having a pleasant to good time.

Conditions

Temperature: 48 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: S. Tide Level: 3.5 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 15. Number of dogs: 4. Walking or running: 10. 3 out of 4 dogs were on-leash, which is a much higher than normal percentage. The 4 cars reported were at the lot on the south end of the mile; I didn’t see the Beverly Beach campground lot.

Concerns

Litter

Apparent violations: One filled plastic poop bag left on the path from Wade Creek parking lot to the beach.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 4.

Notable Wildlife

Approx 60 gulls, with about 50 of them congregated where Spencer Creek meets the ocean. 7 American crows all standing on the shoreline

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Styrofoam. Saw the usual amount of micro plastics on the drift line, though less than the usual large pieces. Notably, though, I did not go north of Spencer Creek, which in my experience is where the highest concentration of man-made debris typically is found on Bev Beach.

Natural Changes

I haven’t walked this mile enough to recognize if erosion is new or not. I’m attaching photos to this report in hopes of establishing a baseline.