Mile 239 Report
Salishan Spit north, Siletz Bay
April 30, 2023
After a winter and spring of horrible weather, we finally got out to survey our mile on a mild day.
Report Details
After a winter and spring of horrible weather, we finally got out to survey our mile on a mild day. Picked up very little trash ... only a few small items plus one long piece of rubber hose. The harbor seal colony was at its usual spot at the end of the Spit. It looked like there were a few juveniles among the 150 or so animals ... but a little hard to tell from a distance. Most unusual thing - we found 6 dead sea stars (ochre and leather sea stars) in the sand along our route. Unusual because this is a sand spit - not the rocky shore areas that sea stars usually like. Not sure why they would be washing up here.
Conditions
Temperature: 55 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 3.0 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 8. Number of dogs: 2. Walking or running: 8. Est. 40 people and 2 dogs on the Taft side of the Siletz River, but we did not walk that side
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 5.
Notable Wildlife
Est. 150 harbor seals in their usual resting place at the tip of the Salishan Spit
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
Unusual concentration. Discovered 6 dead sea stars in the sand
Driftline Content
Small rocks, Shells.
Man-made Modifications
On the Siletz Bay side of the Salishan Spit, part of the trail through the shore pine woods had been eroded away, probably by winter storms and high tides, leaving a steep drop-off. This trail is used as a route from the parking lot to the end of the Spit. The rangers (I assume) have marked out and cleared an alternate trail that skirts around the eroded part, making this route again useable.. One section is very close to the sand cliff but it looks like there is an alternate route there also.
Coastwatcher hard at work; interesting cloud pattern
Harbor seal colony at the end of the Salishan Spit
Harbor seals on the Salishan Spit
Dead ochre and leather sea stars found in the sand during our walk from the parking lot to the end of the spit
Report Images
ORbeach
CoastWatcher
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Mile 239
Salishan Spit north, Siletz Bay
After a winter and spring of horrible weather, we finally got out to survey our mile on a mild day.
ORbeach
