May 14, 2007

Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 0.0 feet.

didn't access beach at Fogarty, instead at Abbott residence (with permission) just to S. of Fogarty to look for black oyster catchers for nesting/reproductive survey.Fee program was removed from Fogarty State Park this month. It will be interesting to see what happens to use patterns over the summer.

Saw 3 pair of Black Oyster catchers in study area and documented locations. Very low tide -.2 at 5 that morning and still low at observation time; counted 66 seals hauled out on rocks on mile.

Styrofoam. there has been varying amounts of sand on the beach all month; sometimes down to bedrock, sometimes coarse and deep.

continuing to document area below Surf-Rider. Another house in Fishing Rock development looks like it is about to be moved back.

1. I continually pick up garbage-- usually water bottles, cans, pieces of plastic (most is land based I think), but this month there was a lot of open celled (small cell) styrofoam and big pieces presumably from a crumbling dock. State Marine Board has a requirement for syrofoam encapsulation of new docks, but doesn't have power to require upgrades if docks are older than when program started.2. Re the campground exploration-- I contacted Dave Wright, assitant director and he came out to look at the area with me. The Area manager John Allan and Claude Crocker who wanted this showed up too and we walked the area. No plan has been written and it was clear that the cart was before the horse and this will not happen. This is a very busy park with only a small beach area.3. There has been a change in ownership at Surfrider motel.