Hi! Almost October! Today we have warm heavy fog...interspersed with rain showers.
On the beach the birds are busy! We had a storm a week ago...
High tide, high winds...and temporary flooding.
The skimmers' roost was underwater. Instead they massed on the shoreline...facing into the wind.
Then by Saturday [9/21], the skimmers were gone...
The oystercatchers should leave on Tuesday. October 2nd is their leaving date. So far they are not massing up in flocks, so perhaps the warm weather has delayed their flight?
Peeps still here and oh-so-busy...
...loving the little seed clams!
In July and August these large flocks can be mixed, piping plovers, semipalmated plovers, kildeer; the ocassional other, larger sandpipesr. By now, late September only the sanderlings remain...
Most will remain here all winter...
See all the tiny footprints they make? These little guys expend a LOT of energy.....
[see film, at end]
And my gulls seem to stand guard and watch over them small sandpipers. More likely they too want to make a meal of the small new clams and other food.
Some gulls stay all winter; others move on, perhaps to the local landfills or fishing fleet harbors where food is plentiful even in harshest winter...
I found a tiny horseshoe crab shell.
They shed their shells til they are the size of garbage can lids.
Sadly every summer I see unsupervised children tormenting these peaceful ancient creatures. Their parents are to blame, it makes me so angry...
This is a tiny one, one of the smallest I have ever seen....
The bird-protection fences are down, I beachcombed the dunes...this is when I find rare decoys and other treasures:
But not today...
love
lizzy
gone to the beach......
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