The day ended in a fiery burst as the sun set over Copano Bay. And yes, it has been just as hot as it looks down here… While I like my sunset perch I think that kayaker has me beat for best seat!
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Erin
Coddiwompling through life, guided by my love of nature and insatiable curiosity.Brightly Patterned
I admire the colorful crab carapaces that wash ashore on Mustang Island. The four chunks with the larger spots are from the Calico Crab (Hepatus epheliticus), while the one with the smaller design is from a Speckled Swimming Crab (Arenaeus cribrarius). Before you get too sad, keep in mind that most of these are sheds, not the result of death. The little toy crab I found in the sand is a pretty good match, though not nearly as eye-catching as the real ones.
Violet Sea Snail
The wild waves over the past weekend brought in loads of sargassum to the beaches of Mustang Island. All kinds of hitchhikers washed ashore with the detritus. As I sorted through the debris I spotted a flash of purple. I grabbed it, fully expecting it to be yet another ubiquitous piece of plastic.
I was ecstatic to discover it was a delicate, vibrant, tiny shell. Janitha janitha, is pelagic, meaning it completes its entire life cycle while floating out in the sea. They prey on Velella velella and Portugese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis). I find it interesting that they feed on similarly colored creatures, does that mean they acquire their color from their food?
The Time is Now…
“I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man,
floating down canal.
It doesn’t use numbers or moving hands,
it always just says now.
Now you may be thinking that I was had,
but this watch is never wrong.
And if I have trouble the warranty said,
breathe in, breathe out, move on.”
This Jimmy Buffett song was written about the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina but I find the opening of the song resonates for any of life’s storms. The time is now, my friends…
Looks Can Be Deceiving…
I was intrigued by these small, colorful blobs while walking along the beach on Mustang Island this weekend. Despite their similarities, Blue Buttons (Porpita porpita), are not sea jellies, but instead are colonial creatures made up of hydrozaon polyps, related to Velella velellas and Portugese Man o’ Wars (Physalia physalis). Cyan Buttons would be a more appropriate name, in my humble opinion, but it would lack that cool alliteration factor.
What If the Shoe Doesn’t Fit?
After all these days wandering along Coastal Bend beaches this was my first time finding toy footwear. It must’ve been today’s theme as I found the leg and the first two non-matching shoes this morning on Mustang Island but picked up the pink one during my sunset walk here on Rockport Beach. Women and their shoe collections!
Star Thrower
This afternoon on Mustang Island I found my first Gray Sea Star (Luidia clathrata). Since the tube feet were still wiggling I waded out aways before tossing it back into the surf. You’ve probably heard a version of this story, which is based on Loren Eiseley’s essay, The Star Thrower:
“While wandering a deserted beach at dawn, stagnant in my work, I saw a man in the distance bending and throwing as he walked the endless stretch toward me. As he came near, I could see that he was throwing starfish, abandoned on the sand by the tide, back into the sea. When he was close enough I asked him why he was working so hard at this strange task. He said that the sun would dry the starfish and they would die. I said to him that I thought he was foolish; there were thousands of starfish on miles and miles of beach. One man alone could never make a difference. He smiled as he picked up the next starfish and hurled it into the sea, “It makes a difference to that one.”
Live long little one!
Still Pretty
Kousa Dogwood, (Cornus kousa), this sweet little flower greeted us during the Memorial Day Parade I recently attended while visiting family in Savannah, Ohio. As with most of the dogwoods, the four showy parts are bracts, modified petals, the actual flower is the small nob in the center.
Momma and Baby
I captured this sweet moment while relaxing at the Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park in San Antonio last week. This little bit of nature is nestled along Salado Creek on the north side of the city. While arriving planes lumbered noisily overhead, birds and other wildlife went about their daily business. An oasis of green calm amongst the concrete bustle. A surprisingly pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Crab Dinner
I enjoyed watching this determined Willet (Tringa semipalmata) crunch and munch a small fiddler crab into an ingestible size. Though seemingly a drab brown/gray bird, they are attention getting in flight with their bold black and white wings. Num, num!
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