Mile 204 Report
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
January 6, 2015
The day started with a beautiful sunrise and then.
Report Details
The day started with a beautiful sunrise and then.... at 8:15 a.m. the full moon setting into the horizon. Will add that photo.Clouds were high and thin with the sun breaking thru. The tides had obviously been high, leaving large ponds of water at the base of the bluffs. Many large logs were scattered high on the beach. and the grassy dunes were lain down by the tides. (Many grass seeds were in the surf lines.)On the way from the parking area to the north end of the mile we counted 21 dead blue-footed birds. Interesting that none were south of the parking area. Also to the north were the dead ducks and salmon. It was interesting to see 3 distinct surf lines. Near the bluff, near the grass dunes, and then, rather normally, nearer the water.
Conditions
Temperature: 55 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 7.8 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 9. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 9. All of the people were well bundled up and just walking, most with their dogs.
Concerns
Apparent violations: none.
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 2.
Notable Wildlife
Only notable because we saw only 3 live wildlife....all crows! No live sea birds anywhere.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 24. 21 of the dead birds were of the "blue footed....(probably Cassin's auklet) variety." 3 were ducks. All looked drowned, not oily or bitten.
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
Only one, a large salmon ...maybe 25 lbs. It had a very large "bite" out of its rear abdomen area.
Driftline Content
Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Shells, Small rocks, Wood pieces. Grass seed, lots of it
Natural Changes
Erosion of vegetated foredune, Evidence of wave overtopping, Landslides/major boulder falls. 2 small landslide south of the wayside. The creek beds both N and S of the wayside had cut deep and in some places created about 3 ft to 5 ft edges to the creek.
Janets
CoastWatcher
All Mile 204 Reports
Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Mile 204 isn't my usual mile, so I've waited to walk it again until work resumed on PacWave South's wave energy testing project at Driftwood Beach Wayside. https://pacwaveenergy.
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Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Today marked my latest sighting of the old growth driftwood log that I've admired and whose comings and goings from Driftwood Beach I've documented since June 2020, when I first photographed it high on the beach south of Buckley Creek.
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Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
I had read that the 265-foot vessel Seacor Lee would be anchoring a mile off Driftwood Beach in support of OSU's PacWave South wave energy testing project, positioned so that divers from the ship could perform work on previously installed seafloor conduits.
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Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
I haven't walked Driftwood Beach regularly since the PacWave South wave energy project completed work underground in the Driftwood parking lot.
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Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
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Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
This was probably the last dependably dry Mile 204 walk before the rains begin in earnest.
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Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
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Mile 204
Driftwood Beach Wayside, Buckley Creek
Driftwood Wayside is open again after PacWave's departure, but I was the only visitor on this breezy, drizzly day.
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