Starting on a vacation to visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Since I am looking forward to spending some time at the shore my thoughts turned towards doing a diary regarding how I regard beaches and walking on them. Things to see and peaceful sounds (to me) that can lead to thought and contemplation.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
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Gulls. A fixture it seems on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches. However, I noticed a nearly complete lack of them on the beaches bordering the Indian and Pacific Oceans in Malaysia when visiting there in 2011.
Above is a Herring Gull dismembering a dead crab on the beach at Plum Island in Massachusetts.
Molluscs. The main source of the shells we see while walking beaches. Live ones are a bit more rare to see since they are often being hunted by the various shore birds. Watching small surf clams dig themselves back into the sand after every wave is sort of interesting to watch.
(Above is a predatory snail hunting on a beach in Langkawi Island.)
Crabs. They are fun to watch scuttling around their burrows. Or seeing Hermit Crabs moving about in tidal pools. Above is a fairly exotic looking crab from the beach on Langkawi Island — it is crawling backwards into the sand to conceal itself again after being uncovered.
Tracks and burrows. This can tell you a lot about the inhabitants without you actually seeing them. Above are crab burrows where they have left footprints and sand balls from the excavation work. (Langkawi Island again.)
Birds. Besides the gulls there are a number of other birds that hunt for food and live along the beaches. And you will find even more in the marshy areas that generally have more food. And a number of species nest of beaches — thus leading to closures or restricted areas during part of the year. (Please respect these when you visit the beach!)
Above is a Great Blue Heron that decided to land on the beach near us. (Mobile, AL)
Title picture is a Willet hunting food in the surf on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola, FL.
Fish. Not seen much when walking unless they are caught in one of the tidal pools.
Above is a dead pufferfish washed up on the beach near Mobile, AL. Also a reminder that the full life/death cycle is in play.
Sunrise. Sunset.
(Atlantic Ocean off Wrightsville Beach, NC in December. Pacific Ocean off Redang Island, Malaysia in July.)
Drifting. A perfectly fine thing to do when you have a beach.
(Coconut in the surf in the Indian Ocean. Penang Island, Malaysia.)
Alone. Or in a group. Either is fine.
(Flock of American Ibis, Great Egret, and some gulls (Ring-billed?) in a salt marsh near Wrightsville Beach, NC.)
Wading is fun. (My preferred mode when walking on the beach.)
Above is a Lesser Black-backed Gull wading on the flats near Mont St. Michael in Normandy.
Leave nothing but footprints. (And the tide might well take care of those.) And take your memories (and photos!) with you. :)
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"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday at noon Pacific Time and every Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
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Now It's Your Turn
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.