Mile 202
North Spit Alsea River
Lincoln County
Longitude: -124.082379720300
- Motor vehicle travel is prohibited from Yaquina Bay (44° 37.0374', Mile 215), southerly to the Lincoln County-Lane County line (44° 16.5774', Mile 190).
2021
At the Bayshore Beach Club beach access, I posted a "Snowy Plovers Are Here!" sign, then walked down to where two plover nests had recently been discovered and roped off. There were no birds at either nest, and later in the day another Plover Patrol volunteer confirmed that both nests...read more
My wife and I joined our neighbor Nancy Thomas and her husband for today's walk. Nancy is a fellow CoastWatch (Mile 203) and Plover Patrol volunteer and today was doing a survey for beached birds for COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team), the 20 year old citizen science project...read more
A sunny but somber morning on Mile 202, the ocean fairly calm after last week's storms, King Tides, and beach hazard warnings. Last Friday afternoon, a local resident, Toni Goessman, age 60, didn't return home from walking her two boxer dogs on the beach, and when one of her dogs...read more
2020
The most striking thing about today's walk on mile 202, the north spit of Alsea River, was the contrast between 202 and its northward extension, 203. After recent storms and King Tides, the driftline on 202 was marked by large driftwood logs and masses of small branches and twigs, with...read more
Alsea Bay was fairly calm at noon for today's 8.985' King Tide, but on the ocean side the surf was high and roiled up after last night's rain and 60-plus mph wind gusts. This what it looked like, with surf all the way up to the dunes at times. I...read more
The north wind was brisk today, with hardly anyone on the beach. On the southern portion of Mile 202, I counted a cluster of 17 Western Snowy Plovers, which winter here, all sheltering in ones and twos on the downwind side of beach vegetation which my new iNaturalist app "Seek"...read more
After the recent storms, I was surprised not to find any marine debris of human origin. Instead, along the driftline were hundreds of strange little jelly like pods with tiny tails. After a lot of Googling, these turned out to be dead "burrowing sea cucumbers" (Leptosynapta clarki), which live beneath...read more
I planned my walk hoping to reach the northern tip of Alsea Spit around 8:45 a.m. for the predicted low tide of -1.05. I thought it would be an easy walk over flat sand but hadn't counted on the stretches of exposed rough seafloor covered by standing water dotted with...read more
The only known snowy plover nest this year on Mile 202 failed. Of the fourteen known plover nests located and monitored this year between Seal Rock and Patterson Memorial Recreation Site just south of Waldport, only three nests were successful, producing five chicks. At failed nest sites, eggs usually disappeared...read more
"Snowy Plovers are Here!" announces the children's artwork sign posted by Beach Ranger Doug Sestrich at the Bayshore Beach Club beach access just north of a new Western Snowy Plover nest. See photos. On July 13th, Doug spotted a plover and nest with one egg, and Roy Lowe subsequently saw...read more
The Morning After -- July 5th here in Bayshore, on an otherwise beautiful weekend, means residents spending hours beginning to clean up the fireworks debris left by the few thoughtless holiday visitors who don't believe the "Fireworks Prohibited" signs should restrict their freedom to trash the beach. Attached are photos...read more
Ospreys atop nest platform, Bayshore Beach Club parking lot. Osprey couple settling in atop a very exposed nest platform I didn't think would be occupied. Now for a little work on that nest!read more
Another beautiful day on Mile 202. I watched a flock of 18 whimbrels feeding along the shoreline, probably migrants headed north to breed on the tundra. Someone in the past attached an osprey nest platform atop a utility pole in a parking lot across from the Bayshore Beach Club. I've...read more
No Western Snowy Plovers were seen this visit, but extensive plover tracks were seen in the dry sand near the sloping dunes when walking south down the beach. See attached photos. The plover tracks are blurry in the soft sand, but they are a little "pigeon toed," not quite straight,...read more
No snowy plovers today, and very few birds at all. Plover sightings have declined from 30-40 individuals during my walk on 1/30/2020, to approx 20 on 2/14, to 12-14 on 3/4, to 10 on 3/22, to 6 on 3/31, to none today. Continuing sand accumulation and smoothing out of beach...read more
Very little human activity today. Short-term vacation rentals at Bayshore have now been banned due to COVID-19.read more
Spring Break Sunday on Mile 202. I saw only 25 people on my walk south beginning at 11:15 a.m., but more were arriving by the time I ended my walk back at the Bayshore Beach Club beach entrance at 12:45 p.m. Except for two groups of four people each (children...read more
The 12-14 Plovers were seen in approximate area as on my 2-14-2020 walk, in the dry sand south of 67D beach entrance and landmark driftwood, located now precisely with Polaris navigation app and Bing map. Plovers are standing, appearing to be pairing up.read more
Fewer Western Snowy Plovers this walk than on 1/30/2020, approximately 20 total today (30-40 last visit) in two clusters south of beach access 67D (beyond the landmark driftwood in the attached photo and before the steep sand bluffs). On my previous walk, the plovers were about a quarter of a...read more
Another beautiful walk on Mile 202, highlighted by seeing 30-40 Western Snowy Plovers scattered along the upper portions of the sand perhaps 100 yards North and South of Beach Access 67C (Bayshore South), a stretch of sandy beach and rolling dunes a half mile or so north of the tip...read more
A chilly north wind but still beautiful on Mile 202, which I had virtually all to myself. I previously walked 202 on 12/30/19 and wanted to view any changes after a weekend of storms and King Tides. Sand appeared to have been deposited on the rolling dunes along the northern...read more
2019
A beautiful morning on Mile 202. A beach hazard/sneaker wave warning was in effect, and I anticipated few people on the beach, but I encountered at least 60 people and perhaps half as many dogs, people just walking, running their dogs, a few people jogging close to the surf, a...read more
A beautiful day at the Beach. Some days earlier a juvenile humpback whale was beached around the middle of mile 202. It was eventually euthanized and buried somewhere on mile 202. read more
2017
During our beach cleanup on July 20, 2017 we saw 36 people and 7 dogs. Most people were walking, but it was a beautiful sunny day, so there were some folks who opted to checkout the surf and others who were sitting and enjoying the day. We saw many beach...read more
2016
A quiet, cloudy day on the Bayshore. We saw two families, grouped in 6 and 4, respectively, out walking on the beach. We found significantly more marine debris than usual, especially fishing-related items. Odd findings included a crate, a garbage can lid, and a dummy foot for shoe making. All...read more
2015
Beautiful sunny day on the beach great for a post-holiday cleanup. Counted 27 humans and 9 dogs. Most individuals were walking, but noted one family sitting and observing. Picked up mostly plastic debris including water bottles and food packaging. Also noted Styrofoam and rope debris. Found 5 dead shorebirds and...read more
