Mile 287 - Bayocean Peninsula north of Bayocean site 2 - October 23, 2010

Report Details

A cloudy, showery day on the coast - only one other person with a dog was braving the weather and walking on mile 287. A large flock of sandpipers foraged actively, unfazed by the less than perfect conditions. The first large winter storm of the season is on its way, so we took pictures of the sand accretion in front of the foredune to use as a reference for estimating erosion over the course of the winter. In the flotsam and jetsam on the beach, we encountered broken pieces of a boat (bench seat covers, splintered pieces of fiberglass hull) - a sobering reminder of the power of the sea.

Human Activities

Number of people: 1. Number of dogs: 1. Walking or running: 1. A group of 25-30 students on a field trip for a Portland Community College oceanography course arrived in the parking area just as we did. They first visited the bay, then walked west to the beach at the north end of OR Mile 286. Despite rain showers, they seemed to be enjoying their time at the coast.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 24.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 4. 3 common murres, 1 cormorant

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration. Saw a large number of jellyfish in the wrack line. Also saw one fresh, empty skate case (mermaid's purse) at the high tide line.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells, Small rocks, Wood pieces.

Report Images

C Nelson

CoastWatcher

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Mile 287

Bayocean Peninsula north of Bayocean site 2

March 17, 2024

The cloudy marine layer that was present when we first arrived eventually burned off, providing us with a pleasant but breezy sunny afternoon for our visit. 1) We encountered an intact hull of a fiberglass boat on the mid-section of the mile; photos and location information was provided to the State Park Ranger so it could be retrieved from the beach. 2) There had been a massive influx of velella velella (by-the-wind sailors) washed ashore several days before our visit. 3) Given the number of folks in the parking area when we arrived, we had expected to see more folks on mile 287 but encountered just a typical number of visitors. 4) There was more detritus on the beach than we've seen in recent previous visits.

C NELSON