Oysters and muscles nestled in the Spartina Grass.
I hope y’all had a wonderful Easter. I spent the day waiting for the rain to stop. And it didn’t. On the upside, I spent a delightful evening with a friend and her three granddaughters “playing beach collection.” It was like a beach program, but with my living room floor filling in for the part of the beach. I hope I didn’t bore them too terribly, but they seemed happy when they left with their bags of goodies.
My first full day on the island (Friday) was spent doing glorious things like washing the pollen off my car, grocery shopping, and getting my outdoor spaces into shape. Needless to say, come Saturday I was ready for some serious beach time, and of course, that first beach visit was going to be Mitchelville. Fortunately the rain cooperated and I was able to go out that afternoon shortly before the low tide.
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- First I headed toward the Spa to check for Fiddler Crabs. I found lots of burrow holes and pellets, but no crabs.
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- Then I headed west along the water line. This was about 1/2 hour before low tide and I was out this far.
The beach was fairly deserted, I guess the spring breakers only go to the beach if the sun is shining. Bothers me not for exploring, so long as it is neither rainy nor too cold. I found a few interesting things, but then again, I usually do. That’s one of the reasons I love this island so much
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- A Knobbed Whelk shell half buried in the silt. Is it alive? An empty shell? Or something else? You usually won’t know unless you pick it up and take a look.
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- This fine large shell was occupied, as so often they are, by a Hermit Crab, a Thinstripe by what I can see of the legs. On the siphon canal to the left you can see a live Oyster Drill along for the ride.
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- I found a half dozen nice magenta Sea Whips.
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- And some exquisite skeletal remains.
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- But in the dozens of Sea Whips I have found, none have been any color other than magenta. I was very, very pleased to find this neon yellow beauty. And a few minutes later I found a second!!
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- This Finger Sponge has traded the bright color of life for a nice green algae coat. The cluster of Marsh Mud Snails to the right may be looking for dinner. They usually dine on microscopic plant life found in the mud, but if given the chance, will eat decaying animal matter.
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- If you follow a trail in the silt you will often be rewarded with a surprise. Here a pretty little Moonsnail.
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- This dislodged Shingle Worm does not have many “shingles” left, but check out how long the parchment like tube is. This is the portion of the worm tune that is buried ideep into the sand.
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- A pretty red algae (seaweed) in the water of the intertidal zone. To the right is a Lungworm fecal casing.
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- Like sponges and corals, there are so many different algae it can be difficult to identify them.
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- This brown algae is sometime called Dead Man’s Bootlaces (again with naming things for a dead man).
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- Mole Crab molt.
Cannonballs, and to a lesser extent Moon Jellies, are commonly found stranded on our beaches. These jellies are fairly harmless, with the Moon Jelly having relatively mild sting for those who are sensitive. The Sea Nettle on the other hand, can deliver severe blistering stings, even when dead.
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- Here you can see the rusty radiating stripes that distinguish the Sea Nettle. The margin of the bell is notched, with 2 or 3 tentacles between each notch.that are several feet long The arms around the mouth have frilly edges. The Sea Nettle can deliver severe blistering stings, even when dead.
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- The bay (sound) form lacks the stripes and is milky white.
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- Pigmentation can vary from milky white to red, brown, and purple.
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- Some remaining long tentacles can be observed here.
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- A storm blew in while I was still a distance from the parking area. A previous visitor to Mitchelville may recognize the observation deck to the left.
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- But I just had to stop for just one more picture of these beautiful Trumpet Vines in full bloom and blanketing the beach path.
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- So I didn’t quite make it to the car before the rain. But without the heavy tree cover of the path and parking lot, I would have been soaked. So ended a happy day at the beach.
