A sheltered spot

 

 

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Maine, 15 September 2023

Mink!

  

What a surprise!  Recently we were tidepooling with family in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, when Devin spotted this American Mink (Neogale vison) moving among the rocks in the intertidal zone.

The mink moved quickly, ducking under rock tunnels and among the seaweeds, but I managed a couple of photos with my point-and-shoot camera.

 

 

It's been a long time since I've seen a mink, so it was fun to see one exploring the rocky shore.  What a nice brown color!  And intriguing to think about how it uses the intertidal zone and to wonder what it might be eating there.

Many thanks to Flori, Augusta, and Devin for a great adventure in Cape Elizabeth! 

A wolf dressed in beach clothing

  

Eric found this amazing spider on the beach at Reid State Park in Georgetown, Maine, yesterday (15 September 2023).  Meet the Shoreline Wolf Spider (Arctosa littoralis)!

The spider blends in with the sand so well that sometimes it was hard to see the entire spider.  It was a little easier from the side, so here's that view:

 

 

And one more view looking down at the spider from above.  This perspective made me think of a kaleidoscope, with repeating patterns radiating outward:

 

 

 

Shoreline Wolf Spiders have a broad distribution, so if you're walking a sandy beach, keep your eyes open. This wolf spider is so well camouflaged that you may notice some movement across the sand before you realize that there is a predator hiding in plain view!

Waving in Lee

 

 

We enjoyed watching some of the wave energy from Hurricane Lee arriving today.  I think the nearby buoys were reporting wave heights of ~10 feet.  Waves of this size are common in Bodega Bay, CA, but it was fun to see them in Maine!  All photographs from Georgetown, Maine, on 15 September 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're in the Northeast, stay safe tomorrow!

 

September day

 

 

Phippsburg, Maine, 14 September 2023