Report Details

Accessed mile by rowing down Fourmile Creek and beaching on west side of New River. Saw no gorse on this side. Human activities included five fishermen and a person flying a kite. Sandy beach gently sloping, ocean water unusually green, waves about three feet high. Observed one pinniped in the water. Virtually no driftwood, but a lot of lady bugs on the beach, something we had not observed before.

Conditions

Temperature: 70 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW.

Human Activities

Number of people: 10. Walking or running: 2. Sitting: 2. Fishing: 4. Other Activities: 1 Flying kite, one State Park Ranger on ATV. The ATV was driven by a State Park Ranger.

Concerns

Apparent violations: Two sunbathers up next to the dunes.

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs

Vehicles

ATVs/OHVs on beach, prohibited: 1.

Notable Wildlife

A pinneped in the surf, a lone gull, then about a dozen little shore birds, then flocks of gulls, little shore birds, and sandpipers.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. Probably a raven on the west back on the New River which we found in the sand. It was pretty desiccated.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Pieces of crab, shellfish and sand dollars.

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Styrofoam. Lady bugs

Actions & Comments

No action aside from taking out some litter. We rowed our dinghy down Fourmile Creek before noon under sunny skies, in warm weather and a light breeze. When we rowed across the New River and north, downstream, to find a suitably hospitable beaching point on the west bank of the New River, we noted a blue skiff already docked on the side, which we think belongs to Farmer Gibbs. We beached our craft and crossed the dunes. Saw no gorse, although there was LOTS of it on the south bank of Fourmile Creek on Bandon Biota's land. We made our way over the dunes and I was stuck by how green (as opposed to blue) the ocean water was). The waves were about three feet from trough to crest, maximum, a few a bit taller. We spotted a person fishing the surf and assumed it was Farmer Gibbs. We did not engage him and he was unaware of our presence. We proceeded north into a moderate breeze (estimate 10 to 15 mph) from the NNW and within a few hundred yards passed four male adult fisherman also fishing the surf. I took a photo of one of their fish, apparently perch. One commented that there weren't many but they had already retained at least three. Another few hundred yards and we passed a man flying a kite and two people, apparently a dipolar couple, lounging on the sand at the base of the dunes, sunning themselves. I wondered if I would have been better advised to bring a bottle of wine . . . Anyways we plodded on. Round the first mile mark, so now probably Mile 95, we spotted some sort of pinniped in the surf quite close to shore. He was very curious about us as we were about him or her. We studied each other for about five minutes. We continued on, the beach itself was broad the entire way, a hundred yards wide, of sand, gently sloping toward the surf, with a slight hump between the dunes and the water. And it was pretty clear. Occasionally we would come across areas where little stones (up to the size of silver dollars on occasion) or pieces of marine shells would cover the wet sand. We walked where the sand was hard, down near the water. There was virtually no driftwood. But there were lady bugs walking around on the sand. Never seen them before. Not swarms but occasionally one every square yard or so. Go figure . . .

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All Mile 94 Reports

Showing 8 of 25 reports

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Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

May 1, 2016

Accessed mile by rowing down Fourmile Creek and beaching on west side of New River.

John Hull

Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

March 13, 2014

Dead lamb and salmon on the beach.

Volunteer Trainer

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Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

November 23, 2013

More people than we have ever seen on a beach walk before, two fishermen in small powered boat on new River, one fisherman walking, and what appeared to be a family of three walking South along the West Bank of the New River.

John Hull

Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

June 19, 2013

Warm day, beach wide and fairly flat, pretty clean with occasional kelp, few jellies, dozens of crab carapaces, a few broken Sand Dollars, feathers, and some other crab parts.

John Hull

Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

November 4, 2012

Saw pelican with injured wing walking on beach and a dead baby sealion and three dead birds (just partial carcasses).

John Hull

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Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

April 5, 2012

Once again no people nor signs of people.

John Hull

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Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

October 18, 2011

Beach sand and wet sand very clean.

John Hull

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Mile 94

West of Laurel Lake, Lost Lake

September 19, 2011

Beach was very clean.

H Witschi