Last weekend to see the critters

At least with us.

The Beach Naturalists will be out at Des Moines beach this weekend one last time for the season, beginning about 11 a.m. I was just reading the field notes and we've topped our ##s from last year - 24,000 for all beaches combined - and apparently, we're starting to attract BN groupies.

Who knew?

Singing for a mate

We were all stumped by this question on the beach a few weekends ago. Which type of fish sings for its mate, underneath a rock no less.

We all looked at each other and didn't know. Then it hit us. The gunnel. Although I haven't heard it humming away, others in the Beach Naturalist group has. And this BBC article talks about how this may have been one of the first sounds out of the dark void: a fish humming for a mate.

Low-tide finds

These great pictures were taken by Peter Haley at The News Tribune. They are on the top of the photographer's blog if you want a better look. Here is his story on how he got the shot (which was at a Pierce County beach, not one up here, but you can find the same sort of critters).

Linda Perez, visiting from California, pauses during some clam digging at Kopachuck State Park.

When shooting low tide photos last week my thinking was that I want to get close to some interesting critter, but still show the whole place and some people. The usual technique is to use a very wide lens with a small aperture for great depth of field (great depth of field means that the foreground stuff is in focus, and so is the background stuff).

I also noticed the nice reflections in areas where the beach is fully wet, and that these reflections are maximized when the camera is very low, whether shooting with a wide lens or not.

The Nikon D2H that I use is a big SLR-- a big single lens reflex camera. Big enough that one can't get the lens really close to the ground. I can get the lens closest to the ground when holding the camera upside down and use what is ordinarily the vertical shutter release-- something that the pro cameras have.

So that's what I did. Using a 14mm (the widest lens that is commonly available) and holding the camera upside down, I shot hail-mary style with the camera close to an old crab. I had hoped the crab would hold up his claws in a defensive position, but he wasn't moving much, so I only had to watch the woman and try to catch a good moment of her activity.

Me again:
I have found geoducks at Des Moines beach, and also some very angry crabs (don't want to get pinched by the red rock crabs, it hurts). It's also fun to watch them slowly disappear in the mud, trying to wait until the next tide covers them up.

If you can, hit the beaches Wednesday and Thursday

My friend and former colleague from The News Tribune called me up Monday, asking if any Beach Naturalist events were planned with school kids this week, which will see some of the lowest tides on the beach in 25 years or so. I didn't have a calendar, and I hadn't volunteered (tho I'm sure there will be some of us out there.)

But true to form, Susan Gordon came up with a good story anyway. So if you can play hooky tomorrow and unf. I can't, take a gander at a starfish or moonsnail for me!!!

Photos by Steve Ringman of the Seattle Times.(I'll post my own from this weekend tonight!)

Also, fyi, we're looking at a rock crab (unhappy at that), a sea cuke, and of course, a moon snail.

Hit the Beach!

At least when we're there.

The Beach Naturalist program kicked off today, so when the alarm rang at 7:30 am, I actually hopped out of bed, tossed on my jogging clothes and was off to Des Moines Beach. Not many people, other than fellow beach naturalists, due to the weather.

But we found some neat stuff, including key hole limpets, snacking on something, we couldn't figure out what, ochre starfish, some pretty beat up moon snails (I think chewed on by crabs or dropped by birds), and some of the largest mossy chitons I've ever seen.

The chitons have to be about 100 years old.

Anyway, here's an article about us, and check out our schedule at the Seattle Aquarium Web site. I wish I could say I took this picture, but I didn't. Here's the info below from the Seattle Post Intelligencer Web site.

*Photographer:* Anne Julson, Marysville *Photo taken:* May 8, Edmonds
waterfront *Photographer's description:* "I came upon many of these sun starfish
during an extreme low tide. I was fascinated by the patterns they made as they
moved around the sand. I have made several attempts to see these before, and
this time the low tide was finally low enough. I used my Canon EOS Rebel
XTi."

Check out theses pictures sent by readers that the PI posts every day. They are spectacular.

Six Million Pounds of Trash, One Day

All collected on the beach, according to this Seattle Times article about beach trash. I plan to show this to my daughter too, next time she rolls her eyes at me.

It's also interesting that the volunteers came across living mammals and invertebrates, tangled in line (so if you see some on the beach, please, please, pick it up!).

And if you're interesting in a state version of pick up the trash day, one's coming up April 26, courtesy of Coast Savers.

When Faced With Mortal Danger, Clone Yourself

Every year as a Beach Naturalist volunteer, I'm telling people to drop the shells, in many cases, sand dollars and don't take them off the beach. I tell them that a. if they are darkish brown/purple, they may still be alive - and you'll be killing them. Or if they have already died, the calcium in their shells is needed by the environment in the circle-of-life thing.

Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't. But the more cool facts I let them know about the creatures, they more likely they are to put them back (aside, from the fact it's illegal to take shells out of a city park in the first place.).

So add this one cool fact, reported by Sandi Doughton of the Seattle Times, about sand dollars. When threatened as a larvae (in the living soup that is Puget Sound) they clone themselve before being gobbled up.

Photo by the Seattle Times

More Meetings Coming up on Puget Sound Partnership

Got pinged from the Beach Naturalists today on these upcoming meetings.

The Puget Sound Partnership Needs Your Input By March 21

The Puget Sound Partnership will develop an Action Agenda by September 2008 that establishes science-based goals, enchmarks and actions to achieve recovery and protection of Puget Sound by 2020. Your input on what should be included in the Action Agenda is essential to ensure the Partnership develops a bold plan for the Sound. If you were unable to attend one of the community conversations held in late February and early March, please submit your comments on the questions below via People For Puget Sound at http://www.pugetsound.org/primary/act/action/forms/psp_feedback.

People for Puget Sound will deliver your comment sheet to the Partnership by
March 21.

Please answer the questions below for each of the
following topic/issue: biodiversity/species, habitat/land use, water quality,
water quantity, and quality of life/human health. Speaking points for your
convenience are listed on People for Puget Sound’s website at: http://www.pugetsound.org/primary/act/action/puget-sound-partnership/FebMarpubmtgs .

Which topic/issue is most applicable to your Action Area?
What are the known threats to the topic/issues in your Action Area ?
Where are the threats coming from in your Action Area?
What are the potential actions the Action Agenda needs to include to remedy the threats and problems in your Action Area?

Volunteer at the Seattle Green Festival on April 12-13, 2008

Be a part of helping put on an amazing two day event that will educate and
activate people to make choices for a just and sustainable world! Volunteers receive free admission to the event all weekend, an exclusive organic and sweatshop-free Green Festival t-shirt, optional free one-year membership to Global Exchange and Co-op America, and a 10% discount the Global Exchange Store at Green Festivals!

The Green Festival is a 2-day event co-produced by Global Exchange and Co-op America committed to the movement towards a just and sustainable society. The festival features:

Over 300 Socially and Environmentally Responsible Enterprises * Community Groups * Over 150 leading Speakers * Organic Food Court *Local Music * Great how-to workshops * Green films * Green home sessions * Organic beer and wine * Delicious organic cuisine and live music * And thousands of attendees who want to build a just and sustainable world and have opportunities to learn, be inspired, get
active, & have fun!

To volunteer: www.greenfestivals.org/volunteer
Contact: volunteer@greenfestivals.org

More Crap Washing Up on the Beach

I'm preparing to head out to the beaches this summer (training sessions soon) with my fellow Beach Naturalists, and I happen to come across this article.

Poison. My daughter already gets on my case for picking up every bit of trash I see on the beach (calls me the bag lady), but I can't help it . I've seen how this stuff kills. However, maybe I should bring some gloves, just in case.


Photo from the Seattle Times

Tonight, Seahurst Park, Be There!

And pray it doesn't snow on us. The Beach Naturalists, People for Puget Sound and Environmental Center (Burien), will be at Seahurst Park again tonight from 7 pm to 9 pm to see what critters we can find.

Dress warmly, bring a flashlight and remember to wear waders. And also, don't trust google for directions to get to this park. Go to the People for Puget Sound web site.