Sunday, December 16, 2012

Beach Bums



There is just something special about time spent on a beach.  Walking barefoot in and out of water splashing up on our legs, the sound of crashing waves as we search for shells, and seeing how many species of birds we encounter.

We leave at 5:00am. We drive to the end of the road on South Padre Island


where the red skies of morning greet us to start the day.


There are very few people who venture this far north and that is exactly why we go here!!!  The few people we do see are fishermen and most are driving up to the Port Mansfield Channel where there is another set of jetties, a good fishing spot.  In 1964, the island was split up by this channel.

It is a cloudy day, good for spotting shells.  The tide is going down... a perfect day.  I feel the day is not complete unless I find a sand dollar and a sun dial.  Finally, on our way back, there it is, the only sun dial for the day.  We have a very good collection of shells from the east and west coasts as well as the gulf.  My prize shells are the Queen Conch (which was given to me) and the left handed Knobbed Whelk that I found on an island off the Delmarva Peninsula.


A left handed Knobbed Whelk is a rare find.  Lightning Whelks are all left handed...Texas state shell.  

We collect  old bottles, driftwood, sea glass mostly from Maine and pieces of smooth clam shells from the gulf, the latter two go into Mason jars and are quite decorative.



Angel Wings, Turkey Wing, coral, cockle shell, scallops, Mermaids Toenails or jingle shell, to a limpet.  Oh yes, the sandwich bean.



There were a few of these Portuguese Man-of-War.  Watch out for those stinging tentacles, OUCH!!!  The tentacles are up to 100' long.  



Willet, Royal Tern, and a Snowy Plover in the foreground.


Oh, how I love it!!!  This kinda stuff makes for a grand day!

Until next time...







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