Caught between sea and sky
Feb. 4th, 2009 10:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
summer_jackelI found a new bit of beach today. I'd not been there yet because it is a bit inaccessible; the trail ends at something of a cliff, which can be gotten down with safety and without damaging any vegetation, but just barely and not without focused concentration.
Worth it, though. And I took a lot of pictures. It was a nice low tide, and this beach had both exposed and protected intertidal areas---so I got to see almost everything that is commonly living out there. Creatures spotted include ochre, bat, leather and sunflower stars, purple urchins, black, lined and gumboot chitons, giant green, aggregating and brooding anemones, purple shore, hermit and rock crabs, tidepool sculpins, red, yellow and purple sponges, spotted and lemon nudibranchs and all manner of mussels and barnacles.
Of these, the black chiton, rock crab and brooding anemone are creatures I've never seen in the wild---lifers, if you're a birdwatching type. This makes me all bouncy in a way that the bird people here should have no problem imagining. Many sightings, particularly the nudibranchs, are creatures that are exciting and rare to see at any time. There were a lot of the spotted nudibranchs, which with their dull yellow coloration and shape are very well camouflaged against the sponges that they eat and resemble amusingly their shorebound banana slug cousins. I may see more of them now that I refreshed my knowledge of their habits by reading through my tidepool books again. Nudibranchs in general feed on sponges, and often each sponge has its own little coevolved sluggy predator. So, if you're in search of a predator, find its prey---I'll be extra careful checking over the sponges in the future.
It was an awesome day.
As well, I beg your indulgence.
They may no longer be young, but I still don't believe that there are any more beautiful dogs than these.
At play! They are much less playful than they once were, but the beach still brings it out.
Puppy is adorable.
This really needs to be a LOLpuppy. Anyone who comes up with a caption, please feel free.
Cute puppy advice of the day is: always take time to sniffsniffsniff the flowers.
Noble beast
Her High and Mighty Sheltieness (nah, this breed is never snooty)...
Ochre star puppy pile!
Leather star. They are so soft and pleasant to the touch.
A sea cave....a protected place in the rock that was just seething with life, much of it colorful. It was about six feet tall at the highest and a little wider around than my shoulders at the narrowest, and took a bit of 'bouldering' to get into.
That's the brooding anemone, with a vivid red sponge.
The lemon nudibranch I found was also in the cave. They need protected areas, so to find them you need both the proper sponge and a spot where the waves won't beat them off the rocks. I also recall that some species are territorial. So it's a nice find. Isn't it just too cute?
I love how the lighting worked on this anemone.
This little purple shore crab was all tucked into the rock at eye level.
Also adorable, a hermit crab. Hey, and my macro lens working properly for once.
A snapshot of drama no less fascinating for its slowness. Tidepool organisms are often found very strictly in strata determined by how long an area is submerged, as well as how exposed to wave force it is. Looking for things based on where in the pools you expect them to be and trying to see how accurate you can get is part of the fun of this activity. The mussels can live about two-three feet tops above their chief predator, the star, which cleans the rocks of them at a very clear line. (you can see the strata in this pic really well; look at the mussel line as well as the brown algae). I often see feeding stars just barely above the point which they don't get enough water to thrive, looking dessicated, trying to eat quickly enough that the exposure doesn't damage or kill them. It takes a star, which feeds by inserting its stomach into the shellfish, digesting and then pulling the stomach back in, a couple of days to finish up. Predators do not tend to lead easy lives. I guess the prey don't either, but I'll own my biases.
Sunflower star. Huge one, too! It was the size of my face, at least. They also, and it pains to use the cliche but the thing does, move with a fleet and liquid, predatory grace. Try to the contrary as I might, I still find this most unsettling to encounter in an echinoderm.
Speaking of echinoderms, these little balls of spiky cuteness are purple urchins.
The black chiton.
This little harbor seal was very curious about Rogue who, being excited and attempting to entice three uninterested dogs into playing with her, was barking in that shrill sheltie "carrying across the moors" way. Rogue never noticed, although once in Sinkyone wilderness I watched Rogue and Fenris quietly stare at a seal who was staring at them for about half an hour.
Getting all four fluffballs in one frame, much less in such a way that the composition is almost interesting, is pure dumb luck.
Wuff
I swear, this isn't posed, it's breed 'tude. Collies do it, too, and it cracks me up. She just stacks herself up like this periodically, especially outdoors when she's perched above me in the supervisory sort of position she prefers. "I am Noble Sheepdog, and my flock shall not stray, nor my mistress be swallowed by the sea."
Snapshot of joy.
Worth it, though. And I took a lot of pictures. It was a nice low tide, and this beach had both exposed and protected intertidal areas---so I got to see almost everything that is commonly living out there. Creatures spotted include ochre, bat, leather and sunflower stars, purple urchins, black, lined and gumboot chitons, giant green, aggregating and brooding anemones, purple shore, hermit and rock crabs, tidepool sculpins, red, yellow and purple sponges, spotted and lemon nudibranchs and all manner of mussels and barnacles.
Of these, the black chiton, rock crab and brooding anemone are creatures I've never seen in the wild---lifers, if you're a birdwatching type. This makes me all bouncy in a way that the bird people here should have no problem imagining. Many sightings, particularly the nudibranchs, are creatures that are exciting and rare to see at any time. There were a lot of the spotted nudibranchs, which with their dull yellow coloration and shape are very well camouflaged against the sponges that they eat and resemble amusingly their shorebound banana slug cousins. I may see more of them now that I refreshed my knowledge of their habits by reading through my tidepool books again. Nudibranchs in general feed on sponges, and often each sponge has its own little coevolved sluggy predator. So, if you're in search of a predator, find its prey---I'll be extra careful checking over the sponges in the future.
It was an awesome day.
As well, I beg your indulgence.
They may no longer be young, but I still don't believe that there are any more beautiful dogs than these.
At play! They are much less playful than they once were, but the beach still brings it out.
Puppy is adorable.
This really needs to be a LOLpuppy. Anyone who comes up with a caption, please feel free.
Cute puppy advice of the day is: always take time to sniffsniffsniff the flowers.
Noble beast
Her High and Mighty Sheltieness (nah, this breed is never snooty)...
Ochre star puppy pile!
Leather star. They are so soft and pleasant to the touch.
A sea cave....a protected place in the rock that was just seething with life, much of it colorful. It was about six feet tall at the highest and a little wider around than my shoulders at the narrowest, and took a bit of 'bouldering' to get into.
That's the brooding anemone, with a vivid red sponge.
The lemon nudibranch I found was also in the cave. They need protected areas, so to find them you need both the proper sponge and a spot where the waves won't beat them off the rocks. I also recall that some species are territorial. So it's a nice find. Isn't it just too cute?
I love how the lighting worked on this anemone.
This little purple shore crab was all tucked into the rock at eye level.
Also adorable, a hermit crab. Hey, and my macro lens working properly for once.
A snapshot of drama no less fascinating for its slowness. Tidepool organisms are often found very strictly in strata determined by how long an area is submerged, as well as how exposed to wave force it is. Looking for things based on where in the pools you expect them to be and trying to see how accurate you can get is part of the fun of this activity. The mussels can live about two-three feet tops above their chief predator, the star, which cleans the rocks of them at a very clear line. (you can see the strata in this pic really well; look at the mussel line as well as the brown algae). I often see feeding stars just barely above the point which they don't get enough water to thrive, looking dessicated, trying to eat quickly enough that the exposure doesn't damage or kill them. It takes a star, which feeds by inserting its stomach into the shellfish, digesting and then pulling the stomach back in, a couple of days to finish up. Predators do not tend to lead easy lives. I guess the prey don't either, but I'll own my biases.
Sunflower star. Huge one, too! It was the size of my face, at least. They also, and it pains to use the cliche but the thing does, move with a fleet and liquid, predatory grace. Try to the contrary as I might, I still find this most unsettling to encounter in an echinoderm.
Speaking of echinoderms, these little balls of spiky cuteness are purple urchins.
The black chiton.
This little harbor seal was very curious about Rogue who, being excited and attempting to entice three uninterested dogs into playing with her, was barking in that shrill sheltie "carrying across the moors" way. Rogue never noticed, although once in Sinkyone wilderness I watched Rogue and Fenris quietly stare at a seal who was staring at them for about half an hour.
Getting all four fluffballs in one frame, much less in such a way that the composition is almost interesting, is pure dumb luck.
Wuff
I swear, this isn't posed, it's breed 'tude. Collies do it, too, and it cracks me up. She just stacks herself up like this periodically, especially outdoors when she's perched above me in the supervisory sort of position she prefers. "I am Noble Sheepdog, and my flock shall not stray, nor my mistress be swallowed by the sea."
Snapshot of joy.
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 09:16 pm (UTC)The pup: heart-stoppingly adorable.
The sea-life: envy-inducing.
Thank you, as always, for sharing your days with us. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 11:07 pm (UTC)Ah yes, more photos of your beautiful pack and fascinating sea life.
I always enjoy these posts. Ze sea haz so many splendorz to explore, oui? :)
The black chiton is a bit unsettling though. It reminds me of those fake plastic "Bubba Teeth" joke dentures.
Except for dark grey aliens. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-02-05 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-05 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-05 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-05 09:15 am (UTC)I HAS STATIC CLING
no subject
Date: 2009-02-06 06:30 pm (UTC)