South Beach Adventure: Thursday April 3

I started out the day early, decided to take a walk along the beach looking for shells at low tide. The best times for shelling is one hour before and after low tide which, this morning, was 8:30. So I left the condo at 7:15 after a quick breakfast and good bye to Mom. The morning was perfect and not many people out. I walked and picked up a few, heading to the southern end of the beach where Kim and I had gone a couple of days ago. My goal was to get to the very tip of the island that lay across from Lovers Key. The bridge to Bonita Springs goes across there and I wanted to check it out.

The big condos were getting ready for the flood of vacationers later this morning. Here's what it looked like when I first went down the beach this morning -

Just so you can compare easier...here's what it looked like 3 hours later on my way back -

I did just as much birding as I did shelling. It was wonderful!

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Brown Pelican

I enjoyed watching the many fisherman that fished from shore or slightly further out. The waders ( birds) they attracted were obviously used to getting bait fish or scraps. How about this Snowy Egret perched on the fisherman's gear!

I picked up some shells in the water that still had inhabitants in them. Luckily it is illegal to take such shells (and thereby kill the creature living inside). Some shells have not the original inhabitant living there but a hermit crab which has taken up residence. I recall fondly our pet hermit crabs. The ones you find here also have to be put back. These two below were in a Shark's Eye shell and a Banded Tulip shell. I wish the Tulip shell had been empty. I haven't seen any others this trip!

Then here's a live leopard crab. There are so many pieces of leopard crab shell all over the beach. The pattern is so striking!

When you (finally) get past all the condos, a more natural Florida coast emerges. This is the type of beach I like! There were paths through the trees to go around the dead trees in the water. Then back out onto the shore. Not as many people here, too much of a walk for them.

Once I got past the corner, the shelling picked up. I took a picture of where I found some good shells so you can try to locate them too. Below is a lightning whelk.

Here is a Banded Tulip which I left as it was broken.

There is a small Olive shell in this photo. Can you find it?

I tried putting some of my favorite shells on the sand for a picture. I thought next to the water would make a nice photo op, however the water kept trying to wash my best shells away! I had to move higher up.

Clockwise from top is Florida Cone (pretty faded), Sunray Venus Clam, Shark's Eye, Rose Petal Tellin, Lightning Whelk, and Jingle.

The Sunray Venus is a favoriteood for gulls and used to be commercially harvested in this region. The Lightning Whelk is the only " left-handed" Florida shell, meaning it opens up on the left side. The Rose Petal Tellin is larger than the common Coquina and not found as often although I must have picked up 15 or so this morning! The Shark's Eye is also known as the Moon Shell and Cat's Eye. Jingles come in all kinds of colors and the Florida Cone, well nothing to say about it.

Another set - from the large shell clockwise is: Florida Fighting Conch, Bubble Shell, Calico Scallop, Auger, Lettered Olive Shell, Slipper Shell. The Fighting Conch (pronounced 'conk') often will be found in large groups on the beach. However, those are more often than not alive and need to be thrown back in. They live in shallow water and I found many live ones on the sandbars this morning trucking along...

Better move along I guess. I found a nice Lightning Whelk on a sand bar too but it also was alive! So I took a quick picture and put him back.

This is standing out on the sandbars. It's shallow but I still got my shorts wet from the waves coming on!

Another bird waiting by a fisherman was ogled by us humans. He didn't stay long but he is a Great Blue Heron. Love the coloration and fancy neck feathers!

Here's more cormorants and one pelican on the footings. None of those cormorants would look at me - too busy preening!

We can't forget this lovely White Ibis. I think I'll make him my favorite Florida bird.

Finally got back. Jacky googled my walk and told me it was just over 3 miles one way. Must be why my feet hurt! The tally for shells was 30 different kinds and 116 shells. Some were ones I had not identified before but I found mainly smaller shells of all varieties.

I took the afternoon off and rested my feet. I did get some sunburn but the pattern was amusing. Can you guess why?

I didn't ask Mom to help me put sunscreen on so this is how far my hands could reach! Pretty funny isn't it. It also shows that sunscreen actually works!

Going to Kim's for a late supper so I am putting the sunset on and posting. Again, too many good and different pictures to decide which to use