Mile 323 - Seaside - December 18, 2009 | Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

Report Details

Human Activities: When weather is warm, this stretch of beach is usually fairly active with people who are primarily walking, although kite flying is also popular. Lots of dogs tend to be playing or walking off-leash. Children have been observed, particularly on weekends, playing in the sand or water. Shoreline Wildlife: Groups of up to approximately 50 shorebirds (Sanderlings?) often found at waterline feeding. Dead gulls are seen each trip, with an average of 2-3 per trip, and one dead cormorant was observed with head removed post-death. Several freshly dead Dungeness crabs have washed up, and have been observed as food for gulls. Gulls also have been feeding upon razor clams and sand dollars.Physical Changes: In the month since I have started, the physical environment of the beach has remained fairly consistent with the primary variable being the influence of wind and wave action upon the sand after a storm.

Conditions

Temperature: 53 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 5.8 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 50. Number of dogs: 10. Walking or running: 48. Playing in surf: 2. Over the course of earlier in the month, have witnessed people harvesting razor clams at the shoreline (particularly after dark)

Concerns

Fire, Litter

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. A cormorant with no identification whose head appeared to be severed after death as there was a clean break at neck with the head lying nearby

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

1 completely intact herring that appeared to be freshly dead3 Dungeness Crabs over the course of the month that were completely intact and freshly dead

Driftline Content

Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Shells, Small rocks, Styrofoam, Wood pieces.