Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Saltwater State Park
I have come to this beach several times a year, ever since I could remember. The drive used to seem as though it took hours to reach our long awaited destination, but now the journey takes a mere five minutes . As you cross the threshold of the state park gates, it appears that you are passing into an entirely different world, full of vibrant life and mystery compared to that of the suburban neighborhood lined with plain little houses drowning in a sea of blacktop. The road is lined with trees, who have weathered many more years than I have, which leads to the illusion that you have stumbled into a dense forest. As the road, gently winds downward, it opens up into a large open space designated for parking and best of all, majestic views of the Puget Sound. Since I was young, Saltwater State Park has had a strong hold of my fascination, consequently, it has long since been one of my favorite beaches to walk and observe the marine life.
Sea Gulls
Sea Gulls, Sea Gulls, Sea Gulls – They are everywhere on the beach today. The tide is high right now so most of the birds seem to be hanging out in the water. But there are a few who are walking along the water’s edge. No matter if they are walking or floating in the water, they are loud. They seem to constantly be squawking, as if they don’t know how to be quiet. I wonder what they are saying? Are they just telling each other where the food is under the water, are they bickering at each other, or are they observing me as I am observing them? Are they mocking me, asking each other way is that crazy woman staring at us, maybe she has food with her?
As I continue to observe them, their life seem so simple at this moment – Dive for food, eat food, preen, fly a few feet to move location, sleep, and bicker at each other.
As I continue to observe them, their life seem so simple at this moment – Dive for food, eat food, preen, fly a few feet to move location, sleep, and bicker at each other.
New Bird Behavior
The beach was relatively quiet and empty today, well empty of people that is. The tide was still pretty high and it was really cloudy on a weekday so I don’t think a lot of people wanted to join me on the beach. There is a woman and her two kids just down the beach from me, they seem to be enjoying the empty beach. The younger of the kids, who looks to be about 2 years old, is running through the water with rain boats on, as the woman chances her yelling, “get out of the water, it is cold, and you will get sick.” The old child who appears to be maybe 5 years old is picking up shells off the beach and examing them as if she is trying to figure out what species they are.
I turned my attention from the cute little girls and their mother who was trying to wrangle them in, to the flock of squawking birds. At first sight, I was amazed how many were present today. There seemed to be more today than during previous visits. Also today, even though there was some exposed beach all the birds seemed to be hanging out on the water. Not only were the birds hanging out on the water but also they were doing something I have never seen them do before. For lack of a better term, they were bathing themselves. Some were preening like normal but most of them were dunking their heads in and out of the water splashing water over their backs. Some were even dunking their entire bodies in the water or doing flips or rolls in the water. They were clearly cleaning themselves via a bath of sorts. This was a new behavior I haven’t seen before but if only one or even two of them were doing it, I don’t think I would have noticed and paid as much attention to it but most of the flock were doing it. It is as if they collectively decided that it is bath time. Since I hadn’t noticed this behavior before it seemed weird but yet very entertaining too me.
I turned my attention from the cute little girls and their mother who was trying to wrangle them in, to the flock of squawking birds. At first sight, I was amazed how many were present today. There seemed to be more today than during previous visits. Also today, even though there was some exposed beach all the birds seemed to be hanging out on the water. Not only were the birds hanging out on the water but also they were doing something I have never seen them do before. For lack of a better term, they were bathing themselves. Some were preening like normal but most of them were dunking their heads in and out of the water splashing water over their backs. Some were even dunking their entire bodies in the water or doing flips or rolls in the water. They were clearly cleaning themselves via a bath of sorts. This was a new behavior I haven’t seen before but if only one or even two of them were doing it, I don’t think I would have noticed and paid as much attention to it but most of the flock were doing it. It is as if they collectively decided that it is bath time. Since I hadn’t noticed this behavior before it seemed weird but yet very entertaining too me.
Driftwood
I walked across the parking lot toward the water and promptly ran into a wall of driftwood. I can remember coming to this beach when I was a child, there were only one or two logs on the beach, and as the years slowly passed, the amount of driftwood has steadily increased at the shore’s edge. Today, the driftwood wall was nearly six feet deep and in order to get to the sand you have to walk over this driftwood forest. All the logs are intertwined with each other making the walk difficult to maneuver. Some were clearly fallen trees that have been striped of their bark, where others look like they were once part of someone’s home. The size of the different driftwoods varied drastically, it looked like you could find an entire forest on the beach. Some were twigs, small branches, large branches and full tree trunks. The coloring of the wood was as varied as their size. Half of them are deep to light brown in color and the other half are varying shades of light to medium grey.
There is even one log that is located down by the water’s edge, as if it has just washed ashore not long ago. This long is different from the rest that lie along the upper section of the beach. This log is much darker in color and clearly is wet compared from the water; the log is partly sitting in. The log is also covered in a green moss. This moss reminds me more of the Rainforest moss on the Olympic Peninsula then typical moss or seaweed found on the local beaches.
There is even one log that is located down by the water’s edge, as if it has just washed ashore not long ago. This long is different from the rest that lie along the upper section of the beach. This log is much darker in color and clearly is wet compared from the water; the log is partly sitting in. The log is also covered in a green moss. This moss reminds me more of the Rainforest moss on the Olympic Peninsula then typical moss or seaweed found on the local beaches.
Driftwood Art
The ends are so rough but the middles are so smooth. Some are smoother than others are, while some still have their ‘skin’ on them. They all look weathered to the max and different from their original form. Some still hold the shape they were in when they died but some have been weathered and morphed into completely different shapes. The colors are lighter than they were originally and some appear to be washed out or bleached. They are now varying shades of dark browns, light browns and even almost a tan to white color. They overlap and cross each other to forming different patterns and shapes that mostly formed naturally by the way the water throw them on the beach.
Today walking on the beach, I notice that someone has made some Environmental art or Earth Art out of some of the smaller pieces of driftwood that were lying on the beach. Five thin light tan short pieces arch up to form the outside of the triangle and a thinker darker piece sits in the middle. It looks almost like someone was trying to create a large pyramid shape in preparation for a huge bonfire. A bonfire that isn’t allowed on this beach and might cause a massive fire considering the hundred some other pieces of driftwood lying around this pyramid. Nonetheless, even if this bonfire pyramid doesn’t get used, its presences changes the way the beach looks today.
A little ways down from the pyramid, I found a larger log to sit on. One of the smaller logs next to the one I am sitting on seems very unique in shape and texture. Its edges are rounded and the piece is only about three feet long and 4 feet wide. The side that is facing me looks almost like a bird’s wing is shape. It even has some texturing and laying in it that makes it look like it has feathers. The lines and shapes about the feather like area even look similar to the structure of a bird’s bones around the joint if someone was to rip the wing of a bird off. Staring at this log makes me look up at the birds in the water and wonder if they see what I see in this log. If so I wonder if it makes them as creped out by the thought of a separated bird’s wing as I do.
Today walking on the beach, I notice that someone has made some Environmental art or Earth Art out of some of the smaller pieces of driftwood that were lying on the beach. Five thin light tan short pieces arch up to form the outside of the triangle and a thinker darker piece sits in the middle. It looks almost like someone was trying to create a large pyramid shape in preparation for a huge bonfire. A bonfire that isn’t allowed on this beach and might cause a massive fire considering the hundred some other pieces of driftwood lying around this pyramid. Nonetheless, even if this bonfire pyramid doesn’t get used, its presences changes the way the beach looks today.
A little ways down from the pyramid, I found a larger log to sit on. One of the smaller logs next to the one I am sitting on seems very unique in shape and texture. Its edges are rounded and the piece is only about three feet long and 4 feet wide. The side that is facing me looks almost like a bird’s wing is shape. It even has some texturing and laying in it that makes it look like it has feathers. The lines and shapes about the feather like area even look similar to the structure of a bird’s bones around the joint if someone was to rip the wing of a bird off. Staring at this log makes me look up at the birds in the water and wonder if they see what I see in this log. If so I wonder if it makes them as creped out by the thought of a separated bird’s wing as I do.
Hiding in the Boulders
Walking on the beach today has been really wonderful. It was everything I needed and more. I have been so depressed lately over personal issues and only being in the sun, smelling the fresh salt air, and observing wildlife could help to lift my spirits. Today’s mission was to observe the tide pools around the rocky upper portion of the beach. By rocks, I really mean boulders, as they are massive geological specimens that line the upper position of the beach. They seem to be a barrier line from the world humans walk in and the world that marine animals walk in.
I started off my search by casually walking alone the boulders just noting what is clearly visible and how many possible tide pools I could see. On the first pass I really didn’t see much, however on my second pass when I climbed the boulders and began to stick my head up the spacing in-between them I was surprised by how many were hiding little tiny many worlds of life. Those plan looking grey-black irregular shaped boulders seemed to be protecting the tide pools from the sun, the birds, and even humans. Although as a human it was nearly impossible for boulder to truly keep me away from the pools, really they just made me move my body into weird position to see the wildlife.
Kneeling down on one boulder and arching my back, I could look in-between two semi-large boulders. I found a medium sized tide pool that was teaming with life. In the water were five pink-tipped Sea Anemones. The ones that were the completely submerged in the water had all the tentacles out for display. However, the ones that were semi-submerged had all their tentacles curled up close to their body, in order to prevent themselves from drying out.
I started off my search by casually walking alone the boulders just noting what is clearly visible and how many possible tide pools I could see. On the first pass I really didn’t see much, however on my second pass when I climbed the boulders and began to stick my head up the spacing in-between them I was surprised by how many were hiding little tiny many worlds of life. Those plan looking grey-black irregular shaped boulders seemed to be protecting the tide pools from the sun, the birds, and even humans. Although as a human it was nearly impossible for boulder to truly keep me away from the pools, really they just made me move my body into weird position to see the wildlife.
Kneeling down on one boulder and arching my back, I could look in-between two semi-large boulders. I found a medium sized tide pool that was teaming with life. In the water were five pink-tipped Sea Anemones. The ones that were the completely submerged in the water had all the tentacles out for display. However, the ones that were semi-submerged had all their tentacles curled up close to their body, in order to prevent themselves from drying out.
Low Tide = Walk on the beach and Finding Crabs
The tide is nice and semi-low today, which means I can actually walk on the beach more then I have been able to recently. Looking at the “middle” section of the beach in general it looks barren of life. It looks to be littered with some boulders but for the most part the beach is covered in a dark grey sand. But on a closer look you can see there is tons of that dark grey sand but there is also several different sized rocks and boulders that cover this beach, giving it the rocky beach feel. Since the tide is out the rocks are exposed which means what life that didn’t wash away with the water, much be hidden under the rocks. They must hide or they risk being exposed to the weather elements, the sun, and those Sea Gulls.
I walked up to a good-sized rock and moved it, hoping to find some kind of life. I was disappointed; nothing was there that I would see. I replaced the rock where it was, just in case there was something there that I could see. Then I move onto the next rock and move it…Jackpot! This time as I move the rock little crabs start to scatter everywhere. Most scramble to find cover fast but then there are a few that seem to be making a stand. They stay put but arch up on their legs and thrust there little pinchers in the air as if they could take me one. I laughed at them, snap a few pictures then replace the rock so those tuff, macho crabs can be hidden from the world again.
I walked up to a good-sized rock and moved it, hoping to find some kind of life. I was disappointed; nothing was there that I would see. I replaced the rock where it was, just in case there was something there that I could see. Then I move onto the next rock and move it…Jackpot! This time as I move the rock little crabs start to scatter everywhere. Most scramble to find cover fast but then there are a few that seem to be making a stand. They stay put but arch up on their legs and thrust there little pinchers in the air as if they could take me one. I laughed at them, snap a few pictures then replace the rock so those tuff, macho crabs can be hidden from the world again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)