Mile 330 - Sunset Beach, Sunset Lake - July 9, 2020 | Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

Report Details

I drove this mile in my vehicle while birdwatching. Notable dead animal sightings included a dead elk being scavenged by turkey vultures (see photos below), a dead harbor seal being eaten by turkey vultures (see photo) and a recently dead harbor porpoise 95% intact but had its eyes pecked out (see photo). I submitted an Oregon OSU Dead Marine Mammal Stranding Report via email. With a low tide of 0.5ft during my drive, many clammers had parked cars on the beach and were actively searching for clams, along with plentiful numbers of western and california gulls, as well as whimbrels foraging in the shallow water pools near a great blue heron. A sea watch yieleded the following avifauna: surf scoters, white-winged scoters, caspian terns (some males carrying fish in their bills to present to females for breeding), and brown pelicans.

Conditions

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 0.5 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 52. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 3. Other Activities: 95% of all people on the beach were clamming at low tide. Large numbers of vehicles parked on the wet sand for clamming at low tide.

Concerns

Litter

Apparent violations: Campfire litter (food wrapping, plastic, beer bottles) was evident around the remains of campfires..

Vehicles

Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 35. ATVs/OHVs on beach, allowed: 1.

Stranded Marine Mammals

Total stranded mammals: 1. Freshly dead eastern pacific harbor porpoise. Dark gray back and creamy white belly. Small face and body size. Its body was 95% intact but its eyes were pecked out. The exact location can be seen on my iNaturalist observation which includes the GPS linked map and my photograph: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52487534

Driftline Content

Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.).

Report Images

sultanym

CoastWatcher

All Mile 330 Reports

Date

Showing 8 of 18 reports

Mile 330

Sunset Beach, Sunset Lake

May 4, 2024

I am writing this dispatch report for Coast Watch mile 330, Sunset Beach to document notable avifauna I observed during spring migration, which include 12 Ruddy Turnstone, 7 Black Turnstone, 3 Black-bellied Plovers along with Whimbrel, Semipalmated Plover, Western Sandpiper, and Dunlin. Also noted on the beach feeding on a dead seal carcass was a juvenile bald eagle (see photo below).

sultanym

Mile 330

Sunset Beach, Sunset Lake

April 27, 2024

An early morning walk on mile 330 with overcast skies, rain, and moderate wind revealed few humans (mainly people clamming at the low tide) yet significant marine debris along the wrack line.

sultanym