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Mile 102 on 5/18/07
Shells and small rocks in driftline. Several large pieces of Styrofoam/concrete near sand bluff. No shorebirds. Moderate human use (15)-10 walking, 4 playing in surf, 4 playing in sand, 7 rock hunting, 2 fishing and 2 flying kites.—D Brittain |
Mile 127 on 12/8/07
Little driftline with some bleach jugs, a foam buoy and wooden pallet. Erosion of vegetated foredune as newly exposed ends of logs were jutting out of the sand bluff. Two unidentified dead birds. Snowy Plover protective enclosure removed. Shorebirds moving in response to humans. Low human impact (4)-2 walking and 2 riding on horses.—S Powell T Choi |
Mile 127 on 9/15/07
Gorgeous day on the North Spit! A combination of light winds and small swell created very clean surf. Shells, animal casings, wood pieces, land-based debris, Styrofoam and fishing net in driftline. Shorebirds foraging in surf and moving in response to humans. One unidentified dead bird. Erosion of the vegetated foredune. Moderate human impact (9)-2 walking, 3 sitting, 4- viewing the wreck of the New Carissa. 1-2 sets of tire tracks within designated area.—S Powell T Choi |
Mile 137 on 12/13/07
Sunny day with mild breeze. Beach driftline was barely evident with a few shells, molted casings and the like. Most beachwood was covered by windblown sand, and the entire mile showed a flat sand angle all the way to the seawall. Several vehicle tracks mingled with recent dog and human tracks. The noteworthy item was the lack of kelp masses and other expected drift from recent storms. Low human impact (0).—comubp |
Mile 138 on 12/13/07
A sunny day with small breeze. No signs of vehicle incursion into the closed area other than a likely agency patrol vehicle. Two sets of dog tracks present. Three sets of deer tracks. Two cow elk were seen in the lagoon on 11/24/2007. The usual amount of shells and molted exoskeletons were present on the beach, and the remarkable thing was the lack of expected kelp piles and ocean drift debris from the recent storms. Compared to the vehicle traveled beach adjacent to the south, this closed section had much more plant material extending beachward for some 75 feet from the seawall. The bad news is that 99.9 percent of it was European Beachgrass which they are trying to eradicate in the area. Perhaps they should consider opening the beach to vehicles during the winter to assist their efforts? The ropes and related signage protecting the plover breeding areas were all removed. Thirteen snowy plovers were observed on the beach. Low human impact (0).—comubp |
Mile 104 on 12/7/07
The pitch of the beach (about 20 degrees) and the heighth of the tides are moving the accumulated logs from the dune base. Some are tossed inland; others out to sea or wherever. There will be at least two nonexistent beach areas at stormy high tides; at the southern end and perhaps a quarter mile past the horse trail sign northward. There was minimal animal activity and nonexistent human activity, probably because of the high wind and still-stormy tides. One Solv bag of litter removed. Shells, kelp/algae, wood pieces, ocean-based debris, Styrofoam, plastic bottles and plastic fragments. Some Sanderlings foraging in the surfline. A few gulls flying offshore.—beachnut |
 Mile 97 on 11/21/07
The body count on this stretch is higher than it has been in awhile (5 sea birds-1 gull, 1 Cormorant, 1 Common Murre and 2 unidentified birds, 1 Harbor Porpoise) during my almost daily walks. Though the wind still is from the north, the beach is beginning to show its winter flatness. The wrackline is quite heavy on the wood and straw content. Large numbers of Sanderlings foraging in the driftline. Low human impact (0).—beachnut |
Mile 97 on 12/5/07
This is a radically changed beach since the two-day windstorm/high-tide period. Tons of wood, lots of trash from the sea, and 4 injured birds, possibly Western Grebes. Tides have gone well into the dunes so walking can be dangerous. Shells, animal casings, kelp/algae, wood pieces, plastic pellets, ocean-based debris and Styrofoam in driftline. Erosion of vegetated foredune and evidence of wave-overtopping. High tides washed over Snowy Plover Habitat Restoration area. Low human impact (0).—beachnut |
Mile 93 on 12/12/07
No driftline or stranded or dead animals on beach. Low human impact (0).—H Witschi |
Mile 128 on 11/18/07
Kelp/algae, shells, animal casings, small rocks and wood pieces in the driftline. Recent beach erosion has exposed a wreck (keel and ribs) of an old boat,ninety feet long or more and located about 100 yds. north of "cut" in foredune for an access road, and 100 yds. west of foredune. Also found Sea Sandwort, Honkenya peploides, growing on foredune (most S. population of this plant is by Coast Guard housing in Charleston). Low human impact (0).—SCUUFmile |