March 16, 2024

Temperature: 70 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 2 feet.

Number of people: 200. Number of dogs: 45. Walking or running: 80. Sitting: 65. Tidepooling: 25. Surfing: 3. Kayaking: 3. Fishing: 5. Other Activities: Many people were collecting agates, shells and rocks. Several different groups were playing soccer and frisbee. Many were sitting on the many logs or walking the beach enjoying the spring sunny day.. Most dogs were off leash and several dog interactions had to be broken up by people. Two dogs were barking at or running to the seals that were swimming / fishing in the Siletz River; chasing the seals away from shore.

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs, Disturbance/harassment of marine mammals

~15 seals were swimming / fishing in the Siletz River. 100 seals were sunning on the beach across the Siletz River, and away from people and dogs. Five people were feeding the gulls, which drew in dozens more gulls. One (marsh?) wren was flying around some beach grasses. Would not hold still for a picture. Dozens of gulls were sunning on the rocks with one cormorant. Many unidentified ducks or water fowl were feeding in the breakers.

Unusual concentration. Thousands of dead and stinking Vellella Vellella jellyfish were washed up in the wrack line and logs.

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea). Thousands of dead and stinking Vellella Vellella jellyfish were washed up in the wrack line and logs. Due to recent high tides and waves, the wrack line was very high and mostly mixed in with the logs.

Steps down bluff, Bluff development. North of Ester Lee motel, a new house is being built into the side of the sand dune / bluff. Erosion is occurring despite erosion fencing. The on site construction track hoe had driven down onto the beach, damaging the vegetation all the way to the beach. New steps have been built at Ocean Terrace Condos all the way down to the beach.

Landslides/major boulder falls, Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Erosion of vegetated foredune, Visible retreat of solid bluff, Evidence of wave overtopping. High sand bluff eroding closer to foundation of the Ester Lee motel. Lots of sand, sandstone and vegetation falling all the way down to wrack line; and being washed away. Sometime in the last 2 weeks (last visit), 3 to 5 foot of sand has eroded from entire length of the beach. It has left a long flatter beach and lots of exposed cobblestones. Below Ocean Terrace Condos and south of Inn at Spanish Head, some of the dunes, dune grasses and shrubs have eroded away leaving a 6 foot tall shelf or cliff of roots and logs. More bed rock and large rocks are exposed than in many years. The logs are tossed up very high onto the rocks, grasses and shrubs. Beach grasses are growing back where there was a several acre wild fire last year.