Mile 184 - N of Ocean Beach Picnic Area, S of Squaw Creek - May 27, 2023

Report Details

Wow, what a change from the beginning of the month! I haven't observed this many rock fields on the beach since the winter. The north end of the beach in particular was covered with rocks the whole way up to the bluff. Additionally, the piles were at least two feet high. Most notable also were the pigeon guillemots present in the cave located mid beach. I counted 5 pairs. They appear to be nesting. I haven't observed them in the cave for at least two years. Hopefully they will be successful. Most people on the beach were rockhunting. There were plenty of agates, jasper and petrified wood. One person was in the surf playing until her dog almost got swept out. She was very shaken and the dog was too. Another reminder to keep dogs leashed and pay attention to the ocean. You can never be sure about the waves.

Conditions

Temperature: 52 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 2.6 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 16. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 10. Playing in surf: 1.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 8.

Notable Wildlife

It appears that there are pigeon guillemots nesting in the cave located at mid beach. I was able to spot at least 5 nesting pairs.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt). I didn't observe plastics in the drift line. I also didn't remove any trash from the beach.