Mile 306 - Cove Beach south, Tillamook-Clatsop county line - September 17, 2015

Report Details

Surf rough, tide going out. Sub-adult gulls feeding in the receding waves, "kneading" the wet sand with their feet to bring up mole crabs. Pelicans beginning to gather; 25 on the rocks on mile 307; 3 on the sand on mile 306.No sign of the bald eagles, however, even better, an adult peregrine falcon perched on the eagle snag over the beach. Earlier today, two humpback whales came in close, just beyond the breakers. They regaled us with flipper flashes, headstands, and glimpses of backs and heads as they preyed on a school of 2 ft long fish (mackerel?). Pelicans and bachelor sea lions joined in. They stayed within a 1/4 mile of shore for over an hour -- then disappeared. Quite a treat.A raft of sea lions floated by, waving their flippers in the air. Some people call the behavior "jugging"; it apparently involves temperature control. If you count the flippers and divide by 3, you can estimate the number of sea lions.... About 20 in this group.One family on the beach making sand castles. One reader with her dog (loose, well-behaved). And me. Wrack line: thousands of mole crab carapaces, large molted Dungeness crab shells, broken large mussels and razor clams. 9 dead birds: 4 common murres, 2 pigeon guillemots, 1 western gull, 1 unidentifiable.

Frankie

CoastWatcher

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Mile 306

Cove Beach south, Tillamook-Clatsop county line

January 19, 2024

We walked the mile on a clear, chilly afternoon. We picked up trash--one full bag. We found a little eel, the same color as brown rockweed! We saw sea foam blowing on the sand. We found a small skull bone. We found a scientific measuring device planted in the cobble with a float saying that it was the property of OSU.

Fire Mountain School