A sheltered spot

 

 

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

Taking a break

 

 

Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina) photographed in Chatham, Massachusetts on 20 September 2023.

Pale beauty -- Part 2

 

 

Well, it looks like I'm going to run out of time tonight for writing more about Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetles (Habroscelimorpha dorsalis).  But I was able to sort through some photos, so here's a selection of my favorites from yesterday (photos taken on 20 September 2023).

 

Things to look for:

- very long legs

- mostly pale elytra (wing covers)

- bronze/green iridescence (especially on the thorax and legs)

- bright white labrum (the "lip" area)

- white mandibles with black tips 

- gray/purplish eyes (depending on the light and the angle)

We observed these beetles on dry sand (first and last photos), but also on wet sand/mud.  It was fun to see how their pale wing covers made them look like little bits of shell.  [You can click on the images for larger and sharper versions.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's a nice one from Eric:

 

If you'd like to learn more about this species, check out this fact sheet from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.

 

Pale beauty

 

 

I'll share more about this species soon, but I'm running out of time tonight, so I'll post this photo of Eric's for now...because it's so spectacular!

 

Meet the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle (Habroscelimorpha dorsalis, formerly Cicindela dorsalis).

 

Photographed in Chatham, Massachusetts, on 20 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!