Monday, November 15, 2010

November Beach Survey

There are eagles around. One over the highway near Bear Creek, where in fact I think he must live because he's often there. Two very vocal eagles over the beach near the leaning ghost tree, four over the river (two mature, two juvenile).

James Island from Rialto Jetty, November 14, 2010 (Click for larger image.)

This time the Rialto Jetty beach segment was completely swept clean of either wrack or litter, and it was the Ellen Creek beach segment that had wrack, a mix of seaweed and animals. There was not much marine debris, except along one stretch south of the ghost tree there were a number of plastic bottles which had been nearly reduced to stiff lace.

Fresh Wrack Swept Back Among the Drift Logs (Click for larger image.)
Not A Clue. A Sponge Maybe??? (Click for larger image.)

On the return leg of the survey you count human traces. Coming back from Ellen Creek, 18 people on the clicker and two dogs, though for much of the walk the beach was doing a good imitation of being completely empty. By the time I was coming back from the Rialto Jetty beach segment, no people no dogs, the first time ever that I have put 0/0 in my survey notebook. It was raining again at that point, but that doesn't usually keep people off the Park's premier drive-to beach.

The Leaning Tree Hasn't Gone Over Yet (Click for larger image.)

No dead birds to write up. If there were any, either the set of the waves had carried them away or they were buried under the sand and pebbles.

Walkers (Click for larger image.)
Empty Beach (Click for larger image.)

P.S. for COASST: on the Rialto Jetty beach segment there was a small amount of persistent foam of the sort that leaves a gritty brownish residue. It was just to the south of the access from the parking lot. Nowhere else. Click for larger images.

  

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