Mile 98 - Bandon State Park, China Creek - September 4, 2009

Report Details

This beautiful early, still evening we walked south to north, encountering no people or cars. Return trip there were 7, respectfully enjoying their stroll. Few sea/shore birds. Did not see any BLOY, tho 2 successfully fledged in August in the area. No wildlife observed - deer tracks. Hundreds of open mussel shells, many attached to large barnacles, concentrated inside of drift line and running some length. Ten dead birds: 4 juvenile Common Murre and 6 immature seagulls. China Creek now running north, then west. Sand mounds around rocks a north end of mile. Very little negative human impact: 1 recently used firepit, 1 dog pile, horseshoe prints, minimal litter (no golf balls!).

Conditions

Temperature: 62 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: S. Tide Level: 1.6 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 7. Number of dogs: 2. Walking or running: 5. Tidepooling: 2. Dogs off-leash, but controlled, with pair tidepooling/rock hunting. Very little litter. Dog pile in sand (1).

Concerns

Fire

Apparent violations: firepit, burnt logs, ash.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 5.

Notable Wildlife

2 Semipalmated Plovers, foraging, flying

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 10. 4 juv. Common Murres, 6 immature seagulls

Driftline Content

Shells. mussels (for lack of a better term) - hundreds of open shells still attached to large barnacles