December 26, 2020 - ORbeach
A cloudy, cool day. Cold wind from the south. Hardly anyone on the beach. Minimal trash, except for two large items which we could not carry. There were lots of large driftwood pieces on the beach ... not surprising given the series of recent storms. There were NO harbor seals...read more
December 22, 2020 - mlbutowitsch
It was a fairly unpopulated time on the spit. Rockhouds and walkers. Started to drizzle after completion of our mile.read more
November 21, 2020 - ORbeach
A calm, sunny but cool day. More people out on the beach than normal, given the time of year - probably glad to get outside after nearly a week of heavy rain and storms. No trash ... I picked up one candy wrapper. There was a large (and very heavy)...read more
October 12, 2020 - mlbutowitsch
It was a lovely day with sun and hardly any wind. We did note a dead and partially eaten seal on the bay side. read more
July 6, 2020 - ORbeach
We thought it would be a good idea to take a look around on our mile after the 4th of July because in past years we have found quite a bit of fireworks debris. To our pleasant surprise there was very little ... just a few paper casings. Not much...read more
June 21, 2020 - mlbutowitsch
It was a quiet day on the spit, but very busy on the Mo's part of mile (probably due to it being Father's Day. Last week we did see horses on the beach for the first time. Weather was comfortable with blue sky streaking along the clouds.read more
April 30, 2020 - ORbeach
Pleasant day with a southerly wind. Normally there would be more visitors on the Taft side of the Siletz River, but tourism has been curtailed by coronavirus restrictions. The harbor seals were difficult to count due to their position on the Spit, but we estimated there were at least 100...read more
March 21, 2020 - mlbutowitsch
Very nice day. Most of people noted were on the Mo's side. On the Spit itself, only 5 people were seen. More people coming to the beach area as we were leaving. Little owl was sitting on log, believed to be nesting. read more
March 15, 2020 - ORbeach
Very bright pretty day. Only a few beach-walkers. Small amount of trash collected - mostly styrofoam pieces. Ranger Doug had already picked up two crab pots, one a commercial one with a tag which will be returned to its owner. The colony of harbor seals had moved to a sand bar...read more
December 21, 2019 - mlbutowitsch
Limited amount of debris on beach. Several people but not crowded and no unusual activities noted. Lots of large trees (some burned) seemed to have been washed up after big storm. Found a sea star out of water and nowhere near water line, so I gently placed him back in...read more
November 23, 2019 - ORbeach
Calm, mostly sunny day. A few people out on the beach, walking or looking for agates near low tide. Almost no trash. There were no harbor seals in their usual resting place at the tip of the Salishan Spit; two were spotted in the rivermouth. This has happened before -...read more
September 21, 2019 - mlbutowitsch
Large amount of squid eggs observed. Otherwise typical contents of driftline. No development threats observed.read more
June 23, 2019 - ORbeach
Calm, partly cloudy day. More visitors than usual on the beach. Very little trash. A number of Dungeness crab shells noted in the wrack line, but they appeared to be molts, not due to any trauma.read more
January 27, 2019 - ORbeach
Sitting on our sunny patio in 65 degrees this January day, we thought it would be a good day to do our Coastwatch mile. It was a different story once we got out on the beach and were facing the hearty, chilly north wind. More debris than usual no doubt...read more
December 5, 2018 - ORbeach
Brilliantly clear day with very little wind. The receding waves left a nice wide flat area of wet, fairly hard sand, making the walking a little easier than usual. Just two individuals on the beach, hunting for agates. Est. 70-80 harbor seals in their usual resting spot at the tip...read more
September 20, 2018 - ORbeach
Had time to walk the Taft side of our mile this afternoon. About 60 people out enjoying the beach. At least 10 fishing from the shore. Four boats in the water at the mouth of the Siletz River - also for fishing. There were NO SEALS at the tip of the...read more
September 8, 2018 - ORbeach
A calm pleasant day. There were THOUSANDS of squid egg cases in the tide line ... both along the ocean and on the Siletz Bay side of the Salishan Spit. People on the Taft side of the river were yelling at us because they thought we were getting too close...read more
July 14, 2018 - ORbeach
Sunny, breezy July day. More people than usual on the beach, but of course it's the middle of summer. Harbor seal population at the end of the spit seemed larger than usual, with several juveniles. There were many more seagulls than usual on this stretch of beach. The wrack line...read more
May 13, 2018 - ORbeach
A pleasant Mothers Day, with just a little light coastal fog. Great day for wildlife spotting: 4 whimbrels, 1 brown pelican, 1 juvenile eagle, 10 turkey vultures, about 20 harbor seals (fewer than the normal number but there were also some in the water). A few scattered Velella velella along...read more
March 11, 2018 - ORbeach
Pleasant day. First time I have seen surfers in the "jaws of death" Siletz rivermouth. One appeared to be temporarily pulled south by currents but he managed to get back. Almost no trash to pick up.read more
December 28, 2017 - ORbeach
We walked from Access #50 to the tip of the Salishan Spit. Almost no trash - picked up 4 small items. A large group of seals in their usual resting place ... but we were concerned about one who had a red plastic "Flying Ring" toy around its middle. The animal...read more
December 9, 2017 - ORbeach
A calm, warm, dry December day. Low tide. Almost no trash on the beach - we only picked up a few small items. The harbor seal colony was in their usual location at the tip of the Salishan Spit, estimated count 150. Noted a few pyrosomes in the seaweed at...read more
October 15, 2017 - ORbeach
Very pleasant day. Picked up a small amount of trash. Relayed our concerns about the dead sea lions to the ranger but he indicated he may not take any action since it is very expensive to get a large piece of machinery out onto the beach to bury the animal...read more
June 18, 2017 - ORbeach
A beautiful day to be out. Very little trash collected ... one piece of line and a few plastic pieces. Found 3 (presumably) dead purple ochre stars in a pile of wood & algae debris above the waves; threw them back in the water but they probably won't survive.read more
March 12, 2017 - ORbeach
It's a miracle! - a sunny, warm day with no rain! Much more trash on the beach than usual (although note that your cheery Coastwatchers haven't been out here for a while). We filled up 4 bags. Lots of plastic bottles, other plastic and styrofoam pieces. No serious winter erosion...read more
November 25, 2016 - ORbeach
Walked the Taft side of the Siletz River mouth, part of our mile that we don't get to often. 42 people, 9 dogs enjoying the beach. Some debris noted, mostly very small plastic pieces and bottle caps. Lots of driftwood and beachgrass washed in due to recent storms. No seals...read more
October 29, 2016 - ORbeach
Pleasant day after nearly a month of rain. More people than usual out walking on the beach. Picked up 1/2 bag of trash ... mostly small plastic pieces and styrofoam.read more
September 24, 2016 - ORbeach
Not much to report. Pleasant fall day. One fisherman + one family on the Salishan Spit. Several fishing/crabbing boats in Siletz Bay and the river mouth. Collected a small amount of debris.
Someone left a sleeping bag on the trail from the parking lot, near the sign that says "do not...read more
May 17, 2016 - ORbeach
Sunny, windy day. Only one family on the Spit. We picked up many plastic pieces ... filled a large trash bag. Most looked like edges or sides of containers. No writing or markings. I had my zoom camera so got some close-ups of the seal colony. We walked up the...read more
April 2, 2016 - ORbeach
Sunny, calm day. Several people out walking on the spit. Estimated 120+ people and 12 dogs on the Taft side of the Siletz. No beach litter! - except for one stray crab pot. Some of the sharp drop-offs have abated somewhat so it is possible to walk the entire mile...read more
February 25, 2016 - ORbeach
Only me on the beach this beautiful Thursday afternoon. 50+ people across the Siletz River mouth on the Taft beach. The harbor seals have returned to their usual resting place ... estimated 150+. The sand has returned to the area they like. I could not walk the entire length of...read more
January 2, 2016 - ORbeach
The northern tip of the Salishan Spit has changed quite a bit since our last walk two months ago, no doubt due to the extreme rain, storms and King Tides of the past month. A higher level where much driftwood rested has smoothed out to a gradual incline from the...read more
December 24, 2015 - ORbeach
We went out to take a "peek" at our mile the day after King Tide day, Dec. 24. Lots of driftwood all along the beach, many very large logs. It appeared some had washed up over the hill where the beach access path is (up from the parking lot) and...read more
November 5, 2015 - ORbeach
Walked the Taft side of Mile 239 this afternoon. 8 people fishing, 12 walking, 4 playing in sand, 2 picnicking. Very little debris which is good for a beach that is used quite a bit. Spotted 3 pelicans in Siletz Bay.read more
November 1, 2015 - ORbeach
Pleasant day after two days of big winds, heavy rains and King Tides. Not much debris to gather in spite of all that ocean activity. Saw a group of what we figured out in the bird book to be Heermann's gulls: gray body, darker wings, black legs, red beak with...read more
September 7, 2015 - ORbeach
I didn't intend to do a Coastwatch walk today but just started walking on the beach and it was such a pleasant day, I just kept going. Almost no trash on the beach. Counted 4 dead murres. Found 6 agates. First time I've ever seen fishermen at the mouth of...
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August 8, 2015 - ORbeach
Overcast but pleasant day. NOBODY on the beach ... but evidence of recent activity (footprints). About 175 people counted across the Siletz on the Taft side (west of Mo's pier) enjoying the beach or attending the sandcastle festival. 8 dogs on that side. Larger crowd east of the pier. Very...
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June 25, 2015 - ORbeach
Walked the north side of the Siletz River outlet, which is part of our mile but which we seldom reach. Sunny, breezy day. 79 people counted between Mo's and the surfline, including 5 rock hunting, 2 flying kites, 1 fishing. 10 dogs, most on leash. No significant debris issues.read more
June 21, 2015 - ORbeach
A calm, cloudy but pleasant day. Only one family enjoying the beach. 3 bags of trash collected, including two large items: a door and a fiberglass tube. No tsunami-related items found this time.
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April 15, 2015 - ORbeach
Beautiful but breezy day. The beach was covered with millions of Velella velella ("by-the-wind sailors") jellyfish decomposing in the sun. Very little debris but a couple possible tsunami items.
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March 26, 2015 - ORbeach
A very pleasant day. Spring Break for schools. Over 200 people counted on the north side of the Siletz Bay outlet but we did not walk that side. Harbor seal colony in their normal spot at the tip of the Salishan Spit. Minimal debris - collected 1/2 trash bag. 3 Japanese tsunami items.
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January 20, 2015 - ORbeach
Combined CoastWatch walk with King Tide photos day. An unusual amount of driftwood on the beach. Normally this stretch at the end of the Salishan Spit is a pleasant stroll. Today ... due to the high tide and the large amount of driftwood ... it was an obstacle course! More...
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November 18, 2014 - ORbeach
A pleasant, calm day after two weeks of cold rain and storms; nevertheless had the beach to myself except for one gentleman walking. Very little debris noted ... only picked up a few items in the mile. The harbor seal population was all in the water "fishing."
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August 31, 2014 - ORbeach
Very nice day; a few more people than usual; many boats in Siletz Bay, fishing or crabbing; the colony of harbor seals had abandoned their usual resting spot at the end of the Salishan Spit probably due to all the activity; occasionally one would pop up in the water
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July 27, 2014 - ORbeach
Very pleasant day. Little activity on beach. Little debris - filled one bag. 60+ harbor seals counted at the north end of the Salishan Spit. (This number always varies because they are difficult to count from a distance.) 100+ people enjoying the beach on the other side of the Siletz...
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June 17, 2014 - ORbeach
A beautiful Tuesday afternoon and not a soul on the beach! Almost all the Japanese tsunami debris reported on May 11 is now gone, except for a few stretches where there is a proliferation of tiny plastic pieces along the wrack line. Don't know if there has been a cleanup...
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May 11, 2014 - ORbeach
A nice afternoon to be out on the beach but I was stunned by the amount of plastic debris at the high tide line. Many small plastic bits ... other larger pieces that were obviously part of a container, like a laundry basket ... also entire large containers such as...
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April 12, 2014 - ORbeach
Sunny but windy afternoon. Not much to report. Little evidence of human activity. Little marine debris. Natural sand mesas ... seasonal phenomenon. Healthy population of harbor seals in their usual location.
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August 26, 2008 - salspit
Pretty much normal for this Salishan Strip; quiet conditions; many birds, mostly gulls and pelicans; and the usual large number of hauled-out harbor seals.
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July 13, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful day, but the fog bank came in during our walk. The wind was quite brisk. Observed a lone Brown pelican fishing in the surf, and saw several Western gulls, including a juvenile (probably a yearling) foraging in the surf line. Noted a very tall pole erected in the sand,...
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June 29, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful sunny day! Observed a mixed flock of gulls and cormorants feeding on surface about 1/4 mile off shore; a flock of approximately 70 gulls resting on shore; Bull kelp, Rockweed kelp, Feather Boa kelp, and numerous Dungeness crab shells in drift line, probably from molt; saw tire tracks above...
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June 15, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful, sunny day with a brisk wind (Small Craft Warning). The drift line was quite clear of debris. On the ocean-side of spit we observed three separate flocks of Brown pelicans flying north (total of 26 birds); observed a flock of six Pelagic cormorants flying north; and saw a Caspian...
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June 12, 2008 - Shafer
Began our walk as usual at the Shops at Salishan. Bright, sunny day with surprisingly few folks on the beach (six). Rescued a stranded Ochre star and noted a few dead Moon jellies. Collected quite a bit of trash for 3/4 of a mile; couldn't finish the last 1/4 as...
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May 9, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful day! Surprisingly few folks on the beach. The drift line debris was pretty much all natural; picked up two large bags of trash from above the high, high tide line (we thought it would be worse given how long it's been since we were last here). Saw a small...
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March 22, 2008 - Shafer
The weather was lovely! Sunshine and light breeze! We began our walk as usual at the terminus of the Salishan Nature Trail and walked north about a half mile before losing dry sand. We turned south and walked to Gleneden State Park, where we left the beach. So, I guess...
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March 2, 2008 - Shafer
Rather cloudy today, which could explain why we saw so few folks. On the seaward side of the spit, the only wildlife observed were a couple of Western gulls following us as we collected trash. On the bayside, however, we saw Common merganser, Bufflehead, Northern Pintails, Mallards, White-winged Scoters, Surf...
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February 26, 2008 - Shafer
Another beautiful day! Very few visitors, but saw a resident of Salishan with her little dog. Noted a gull (Western?) with a broken wing and a Sanderling with an injured, possibly broken, leg. On the bay side, saw a gull eating a young Starry flounder! And a fairly sizeable flock...
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February 23, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful, sunny day! Not very many folks out on the spit today. As our walk was during high tide, we cut it short when we reached a stretch of beach with little or no dry sand (lesson learned from the drenching we got on the 9th). Saw a young Harbor...
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February 16, 2008 - Shafer
Another beautiful day! Saw a dead Harbor seal pup and reported to pinniped line; approximately 20 Harbor seals on leeward side of spit; saw feeding behavior (aggression) with gulls and determined that they were fighting over an egg ball (fish species unknown); a pair of Bald eagles were hunting over...
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February 15, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful day! Not too many people, and no dogs...which is a surprise. Picked up a huge piece of styrofoam and several small boulder-sized pieces. Also, picked up over 30 plastic bottles. No wildlife sighted...except for the ubiquitous gulls.
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February 14, 2008 - Shafer
Beautiful sunny day! Not too many folks on beach. A couple of folks had their two Golden retrievers off-leash near the north end of spit...hopefully they avoided the haul-out area of the Harbor seals. The dead Holstein cow has been put to rest...it looks like the state came out today...
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February 9, 2008 - Shafer
Began our walk as usual at the end of the Salishan Nature Trail. Picked up a couple of bags of trash. Noted a fish skeleton (species unknown), two dead Western grebes; and, behold, a dead Holstein cow in the surf line! Reported the dead cow to the Oregon State Police...
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January 5, 2008 - Shafer
Began our walk as usual, at the terminus of the Salishan Nature Walk and ended at the Salishan Boat Launch. Saw a Western grebe in the surf line and numerous sanderlings and surfbirds darting amongst the seafoam. We got pelted with pea-sized hail for a few minutes. Not many folks...
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December 26, 2007 - Shafer
As usual, began walk at N44'53.632 and stopped at N44'55.528 to come back along bay side of spit. Found a dead Brandt's cormorant and a dead Common murre. Hit with hail about three times during walk. Rather sparse re wildlife: a small, mixed flock of sanderlings and surfbirds; the usual...
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December 24, 2007 - Shafer
Began at N44'53.632 and finished at N44'55.157. Saw sanderlings foraging in driftline; dead grebe being picked at by gull; usual litter at high tide line; lots of sea foam today.
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December 15, 2007 - Shafer
Finished our walk today. Began at N44'53.632 and ended at N44'55.528. As previously noted, saw approximately 80 Harbor seals at north end of spit. Extreme level of styrofoam debris...around 15 huge pieces in the vicinity of N44'55.528, W124.01417; also 4 or 5 huge pieces on the bay side of spit...
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December 14, 2007 - Shafer
We began walk at N44'53.632 and finished at N44'55.157 when we became too laden with trash and left it in receptacle at boat launch. On way back, birds noted on the bay side of spit: coots, Surf scoter, White-winged scoter, grebe, merganser, cormorant, mallard, egret, and Great Blue heron.Please note...
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November 26, 2007 - salspit
Other than tire tracks in the sand, things appeared pretty normal. one large bag of litter picked up.
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July 16, 2007 - salspit
In general the beach was quite clean. Nothing of note other than the two dead murres and the smoldering driftwood noted above and reported.
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