Mile 218 - Agate Beach, State Wayside, Little Creek - December 28, 2016

Report Details

It was a very nice day, mild temperature, no apparent wind; a lot of people were enjoying the beach. The summer dunes have flattened out quite a bit, but it's still not as flat as I've seen it in the past. At the north end little hillocks of beach grass outgrowth are all that remain of the dunes. A raw sewage contamination warning was posted at the wayside access. Along Little Creek, I often see a Great blue heron who was not in view today, however I was pleasantly surprised to see a Great egret fishing for his/her dinner (photo attached)! The seas out beyond the near surf looked high.

Conditions

Temperature: 46 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: E. Tide Level: 4.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 42. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 33. Playing in sand: 7.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 12.

Notable Wildlife

A Great egret (Casmerodius albus) fishing along Little Creek

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea). pieces of lumber, rope. a Goodyear tire with rusted rim, lots of plastic of various sizes and shapes

Natural Changes

Little Creek is flowing more to the west, away from the eastern bank; pretty wide in some areas, maybe 50' across.