Some gaze upwards… – A. Bryant
…and some gaze downwards – A. Bryant
…and some gaze outwards – A. Bryant
…and some gaze at us – A. Bryant
…and some coalesce to share their discoveries – A. Bryant
…and some disperse to find their own – A. Bryant
Some come prepared…David brought his rake! – H. Rohard
Here’s one of several unidentified polychaete worms that we found– H. Rohard
The beautiful Pisaster brevispinus – H. Rohard
Almost a full house at the martin colony – H. Rohard
another happy tenant – H. Rohard
…although some behaved more like incoming torpedoes – A. Bryant
…gender notwithstanding – A. Bryant
lurking around the pilings…– H. Rohard
…we saw a few ochre stars– H. Rohard
and various crabs, like this lined shore crab – H. Rohard
…there were a few “one-offs”, like the solitary Bonaparte’s Gull – A. Bryant
out towards the rocks – H. Rohard
…we found more cool stuff – H. Rohard
…and some hardy survivors – A. Bryant
and even a few social climbers – H. Rohard
…some things defied explanation…even enlarged (see inset), I have no idea what exactly this oystercatcher was doing… – A. Bryant
What a great day! – H. Rohard
Thanks to all who showed participated– H. Rohard
A low-tide stroll out to Myrtle Rocks
by Andrew Bryant, 14 June 2015.
David Bedry, Heidi Rohard and I arranged (led is too strong a word) a leisurely stroll out to Myrtle Rocks on a fine Sunday morning.
Fifteen club members and a few interested passers-by participated. Together we braved the bright sun, quiet winds, noticeably low tide conditions, and still waters to cross the 500 metres or so that separate mainland B.C. and Myrtle Rocks.
Along the way we watched the noisy antics of purple martins, and were ourselves watched by a family of harbor seals.
My personal highlights were the solitary Bonaparte’s gull, a yellowlegs, a willow flycatcher and a pair of black oystercatchers that I’m convinced nested there. David, Heidi and others happily overturned pebbles, finding crabs, worms and other intertidal critters.
I think most of us were content to watch fishing boats, converse about this or that, and chalk this one up as another nice day in paradise.
Postscript:
David Bedry wrote me the next day to say “Thanks for the tip yesterday. I went back this AM for a look. Found them, but not where I thought you said. Unfortunately all the wrong exposure conditions, and this is the best I got. Dark subject, dark background and into the sun, but still a great experience. I didn’t want to push the bird’s comfort level. Pictures at 500 mm.”
Nicely done David!
I just LOVE Black Oystercatchers – D. Bedry
Loud, boisterous, improbable…a perfect mascot for our Club! – D. Bedry
…and now we can understand a little bit more about their strange behavior the day before…what a delightful little youngster! – D. Bedry
…and unrelated to oystercatchers, but this was just too good a shot not to share…a stranded moon jelly – D. Bedry
