Mile 203
Driftwood Beach south, Hidden Lake
Lincoln County
Longitude: -124.083241268810
- Motor vehicle travel is prohibited from Yaquina Bay (44° 37.0374', Mile 215), southerly to the Lincoln County-Lane County line (44° 16.5774', Mile 190).

2023
It was a beautiful day for a walk. I saw one Gull and one Bald Eagle flying overhead. I saw the ranger's ATV tracks. Buckley Creek has a large log jam. It appeared that the ranger may have been working on it. Buckley Creek's flow to the ocean has again changed...read more
After observing 8 snowy plovers on Mile 200 yesterday, I wanted to check up on the plovers on Mile 203. I frequently see them on the beach in this area and was curious about where they go when the tide comes in and there is no beach left. Although the...read more
2022
New beach access point, 66B, has been installed on mile 203. read more
It was a beautiful sunny day. Few people or dogs. Few shorebirds, single Western and California Gull. Did see a "murder" of American crows (23). Beach is primarily flat. Very little dune development visable in beach area. Wrack primarily stones. No debris collected. There were two beached (dead) Northern Fulmar...read more
The ocean never disappoints me. It is constantly changing the beach and foredunes. It is always beautiful.The amount in the wrack line on this trip was more than I usually see. There was a lot of Seaweed. The wrack was a good source of food for about 500 gull (various...read more
This dispatch provides details, photos, and my follow ups regarding a house fire on the evening of July 2nd that extensively damaged a vacation home near me on Mile 203. The fire was caused by the use and improper disposal of illegal fireworks by the homeowners, vacationing Boise residents. I...read more
Dense fog, 62 degrees and minimal wind. Major change was dune development due to the NW wind. No Snowy Plover tracks or Plovers seen. Quite of few gulls seen in the wet sand at the end of Buckley Creek and other streams running to the ocean. Mostly Western, some Heermann's and...read more
I walked Sandpiper Beach to Buckley Creek this morning looking for Snowy Plovers, but I saw no sign of plovers or even tracks. As I came onto the beach, I saw vultures feeding on something which, as I approached, turned out to be a...read more
At 10:02 p.m. last night, someone on Bayshore Beach, two houses west of me, began shooting off fireworks, loud sky rocket types with big bang star bursts at the top. I jumped out of bed, our dog ran under the bed, and probably at least a couple of PTSD vets...read more
There was not a lot of activity on the beach. The tides continue to flow all the way to the foredunes. There is little to no nesting area for Snowy Plovers. I found the discovery of tadpoles and the Aquatic Pacific Garter Snake interesting in a pool between the foredunes...read more
Good day on the beach. We picked up two full 2.5 gallon buckets of marine debris, much of it small styrofoam. There were patches of micro plastice pieces in places on the beach. Found a 200 ft. length of 1/4 inch crab pot braided line, which took about 30 minutes to untangle and...read more
Walked Mile 203. Quiet morning. Temperature was 45 degrees with minimal wind. Did see dogs off lease that caused the gulls to be alerted and move. Saw a couple gulls and my first Whimbrels of the 2022 Season. One dead bird that crows were playing with. Roy Lowe assisted in...read more
Beautiful day to walk the beach. Only 4 people and 3 dogs. Found interesting Beached bird, a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel. Knew it was unusal due to its bill shape. Erosion continues to occur by Buckley Creek. Low tide was 6:12 am. Saw my first Whimbrel of the season and some Gulls...read more
Jesse Jones our contact and coordinator for Coast Watch, Jon French, Dawn Pavitt-Ryan and myself met at the Sandpiper Shores Entrance and walked to Buckley Creek to train for a new NOAA Marine Debris Program. We learned how to set up our selected 100 meter survey area near the Buckley...read more
It was a cloudy, drizzly, overcast day with a very strong South Wind that was blowing the sand. Humans had erected numerous wood poles in beach by foredunes by Sandpiper Village. These should be removed. They provide perches for birds of prey and Ravens and Crows to feed on shorebirds. ...read more
It was a beautiful sunny day. Not a lot of people walking due to high tide timing. There was very little sand dune build up. The beach was mostly flat. There was one flock of gulls near the outflow of Buckley Creek. The creek has dug a deep trench and a smaller creek before Buckley...read more
It was a sunny day. No beach dunes, likely to King Tide activity and waves due to volcanic eruption. Erosion noted on foredunes. One dead sea lion that I reported to the Stranded Mammal Network. 3 Jellies.read more
My cell phone beeped this morning with a Lincoln County emergency advisory for a distant origin tsunami, not The Big One but a tsunami nevertheless. I went to a neighbor's house, near the beach but safely back in the dunes, and for the next two hours we watched from her...read more
2021
Most obvious was the change in the beach due to wave removal of the dunes. The erosion of the foredune by Buckley Creek was significant. Lack of much sea plant material, mostly rocks in wrack. One bird carcass and two short-billed/mew gulls. Only a couple Western Gulls seen as well.read more
Large number of people on the beach today. The dunes are growing and the wind has pushed back a lot of the sand areas that were lost in the storms or last winter.read more
Flock of 100 + shorebirds, cliff soil graffiti, building of large sand dunes, and interesting ocean lakes seen due to low tide. read more
There were a lot of crow tracks, the sand has been shaped into many new dunes. One vulture hanging out near Sandpiper Shores beach entrance. Could hear the Driftwood Project in the distance. A lot of microplastic in wrack. Wrack mostly small stones. A few medium logs about. One Snowy...read more
There are four Snowy Plover nesting sites roped off on Mile 203.
Parts of the beach lost a large quanity of sand over the winter and the sand has not come back.read more
Beach is very flat in most areas and not suitable for Snowy Plover nesting. Snowy Plover signs have been placed at beach access points. Dogs are not being leashed. Poles being placed vertical is not good for nesting birds. Serve as perches for birds of prey or corvids to hunt from....read more
Very windy with blowing sand. Sighting of 1 Dunlin and 4 Whimbrels probably migrating. They were feeding in the surf. Overall Mile 203/Driftwood beach is very flat and stretches from the surf to the shoreline vegetation. There are a few areas where dunes are rebuilding due to wind changes. Quite...read more
Possible Japanese fishing boat washed up on Mile 203 with various species of marine life on board.read more
The most noticable change was the fact that the dunes are almost washed away from wave action. There are many cut out areas and logs thrown into vegetation. Vegetation near shore is uprooted and the wrack is pressed up against the remaining dunes. Some very large kelp was washed up to...read more
The most noticible change was the retreat of the dunes toward the shore. The beach has become very flat and many of the dunes are gone or deeply cut. The rack line rests on the remaining dunes and against the vegetated banks. The debris has also collected against these banks. ...read more
The beach area north of Beach Access 66c had erosion of the foredunes and grassy areas eroded and flooded away by storm surges - see photos. We found one unidentified dead bird - see photo.read more
The change in the beach was the most obvious change. There is alot more open beach. Wrack was washed to dune area with some overflow. Sand was carved out and channels made in dunes. Most debris was string/rope related. Minimal crab parts. Saw maybe 2 gulls. Sad to see graffiti...read more
The change in the beach was the most obvious change. There is alot more open beach. Wrack was washed to dune area with some overflow. Sand was carved out and channels made in dunes. Most debris was string/rope related. Minimal crab parts. Saw maybe 2 gulls. Sad to see graffiti...read more
It was the day before official King Tide Weekend. Waves were quite high in places and had alot of power. Sneaker waves were present and would move into shore quickly. Large logs and stumps were being thown about in the surf. Only a couple of gulls seen and a couple...read more
2020
Mile 203 was almost free from human debris. Thanks for that. Only a couple of gulls seen. The Wrack line had minimal deposits. Saw people walking and walking their dogs. There was some interesting beach art/sand towns being built. One thing I did not think was good was the surfing...read more
The beach was fairly clean on the 26th. Many people were using the beach for recreation. There were lots of Burrowing Sea Cucumbers along the whole mile and a dead seal skeleton on the beach (pictures attached). read more
Snowy Plover nest Mile 202 (this was reported to Plover Patrol), Plover on mile 203, Skeleton of Seal Pubread more
Nesting Snowy Plover, firecracker debris and signs of campfire activity. read more
bonefire and campfire set ups
SAND202001 Snowy Plover Nest Failed
Driftwood Snowy Plover nest still ok.read more
Discovery of New Snowy Plover nest labelled SAND202001 on beach near Sandpiper Shores and being attended by Snowy Plover Patrol. Unbanded bird.read more
Shoreline Wildlife -
We found, we believe, a dead sturgeon on the shore without its head. We have included a picture with a penny for size reference.
We picked up two 2.5 gallon buckets of ocean debris. Pictures show bucket and examples of the debrisread more
I met with Oregon Parks & Recreation Dept Beach Ranger Doug Sestrich on the beach to show him a Western Snowy Plover nest I had discovered 5/15 so that he could install a pole and rope buffer around the nest, which had contained one egg on 5/15, two eggs on...read more
I feel guilty being able to walk my miles, 202 and 203, within walking distance from my home, when others aren't able to because of COVID-19 restrictions. I apologize for so many reports, but when I walk my miles I always find something that I think others might find interesting...read more
My neighbor in Bayshore came upon and photographed this rare Western Snowy Plover nest approx 4/23/2020. My neighbor didn't notice any birds incubating the eggs, but snowy plovers are very inconspicuous (see the plover photographs in my Mile 202 reports), and the incubating plover probably ran off without being seen....read more
Human Activity - 10 people and 1 dog
Shore Wildlife - Possible 2 Plovers (photo attached), 7 dead birds, Quanities of plastic and wood chips.read more
2019
There were no items to report on. read more
Human activity - 24 people and 7 dogs. 15 people walking, 4 playing in the sand, 2 sitting and 3 surfing.
Shoreline wildlife - 5 dead birds. 4 birds can not be identified due to the condition of the carrcases, the 5th bird can be identified but we do not know...read more
The major concerns are the number of fires involving the logs that are piled high up on the beach and the quanity of jelly pieces on the beach was much above anything we have ever seen.read more
Today was a bit chilly with the cloud cover but is was a great day on the beach. The natural change processes of the beach were evident from the last two months. We do not have any concerns about human activity impacting the beach except for the debris that washes...read more
It was a nice day, but windy, with many people walking or playing with dogs. We monitered the dogs to see if there was any disturbance of sea birds and we did not see any. The number of large jellies on the beach was substancially higher than we have seen...read more
The beach was unusually clean of debris.read more
The beach had a lot of marine debris such as polypropelene rope, fuel lines, expended shot gun/ fire works shells and other items that had washed in. We filled two 3-gallon buckets with debris.read more
2018
A very quiet day on the beach.read more
2017
Quiet day on the beach, quiet ocean. Did see fairly fresh bear scat near the wrack though. That was unusual.read more
Found burned out campfire log, also area littered with cans, etc.read more
I am including photos of each direction of the beach as well as the minimal trash found this round, a setup someone created with chairs & drift wood as well as dead seal with turkey vultures.read more
2015
6 dead Common murres found between Buckley Creek and north beach access of Sandpiper Village. I had noted 3 last week.read more
The storms blowing in from the west over the last few days left much debris covered with pelagic barnacles. Some of which are confirmed by Fawn Custer to be Tsunami debris. Velella velella covered the tide line as well.Fawn collected Tsunami related debris samples.read more