December 2020 Beach-Combing

Finally, winter beach-combing is here! It's the best time of the year for finding goodies on the beach, and this winter has been no exception . . .

A very pretty lavender and pink sunrise, with three sanderlings in the foreground . . .

A hag stone . . .

A good-sized sand dollar . . .

Red knots visit my beach each early winter . . .

Another Imperial venus clam shell, still rare for my beach . . . I now have three I think. This one's a bit rough, but a keeper; it cleaned up some.

A false keyhole limpet, don't find limpets very often here . . .

Four calico clams, plus a lightning venus (top L), Baby's ear (top ctr.) and bitty baby shark's eye (top R.)

Another nice sized sand dollar . . . same size as the previous one . . .

Calico clam . . .

My beach has lots of dosinias . . . 

Another sunrise . . .

A nice dark lettered olive . . .

An angelwing . . .

A very dark piece of sea glass, turns out it's a dark green . . .

Titan acorn barnacle cluster . . .

A friendly sanderling, it actually circled me and was following me, no doubt thought I might have fish bait like the fishermen . . .

Another, larger lettered olive . . .

Another calico scallop . . .

I found the daddy to the smaller fish hook I'd found a few weeks before this one (below) . . .

Jr. may be smaller, but he's got three sets of hooks. Dad only has two . . .

With winter comes the jellyfish blooms . . . lots wash up onto shore, mainly these cannonball jellyfish.

My first driftwood heart . . .

A common sea star, also seem to only wash up in winter . . .

A small pear whelk with nice markings . . .

Channeled duck clams . . . almost paper thin, always amazes me when they're whole . . . esp. these juvies.
 

Sun rising behind the bridge supports . . .

Always-changing beach-scape; pools and tide ripples.

The Second Half of 2019

 Last year, I was distracted, on all levels, with a personal family matter, and I let my Blog slip by the wayside. Needless to say, 2020 has caused further "distractions", ha!

In the past year or so, the beach that I beach-comb on, has really changed. In general, I no longer visit as often, and when I do, it's slim pickings as far as finding any beach treasures goes. I did start a new shell collection awhile ago, what I call shell "chips"; pieces of shells that have smoothed edges like sea glass. Lots of different colors, patterns, and shapes...see the last photo of this post. I've also quit collecting certain shells, as I need to downsize! 

I'll try to condense my attempt at "catch up" for the second half of 2019...

Starting with June 2019...

Two calico scallops...

A great blue heron and a great egret searching for breakfast. This is on the Intracoastal just W of the bridge over the inlet.

Lettered olive...I never tire of finding these...

A sand dollar that looks like a small bite was taken out of it...

This is cool ~ a chunk of coquina (limestone and shell) that had formed around a rod of some sort. Wonder how it got loose!

Sunrise...

In July last year, the shelling must've been scarce, cause all I have are sunrise shots...

This one is especially interesting and different...

Same morning...me and a lone shorebird (seagull or willet).

Pelican take-off at sunrise...

A different pelican flying by, right at the horizon line.

August of last year proved to be interesting...

I have no idea what exactly this is, but I thought it looked really cool. 

Ok, these two wood storks were just strollin' along like all was normal...but it's not normal for me to see storks on my beach! Too funny! What's up with that?! I do see them around town once in awhile.

This was a shock! This is by far the nicest Florida fighting conch that I've found here! I've only found a few, and they were all in much rougher shape than this. They're very common on the Gulf, and I have a nice collection from Sanibel Island. But here Atlantic side, well this guy gets a special place of honor...

Sunrise...each one is so unique, it never ceases to amaze me...

Not one but two scallops, found near one another...their uniqueness also never ceases to amaze me...

In Sept. 2019, the shelling was dismal, so all I have are a few sunrise shots...

Sunrise over the Atlantic...

I did have a couple nice rounds of beach therapy in Oct. ~

Sunrise...

A nice-sized sand dollar...see below for one I found in Nov.

Sunrise...

Lettered olives...

A common nutmeg, which isn't common at all to find at this beach...

A wentletrap! Pretty rare at my beach; this is about the 3rd one I've found here. I've found 1-2 on the Gulf also, where they're easier to find.

In places like England, combers find all sorts of pottery pieces...at my beach, it's extremely rare. This one may not be impressive, but a rare find all the same.

A nice shark eye, or moonsnail...

Clear sea glass ...

An osprey and a seagull understand their hierarchy in the scheme of things...

...And finally, Nov. I didn't go to the beach in Dec., I was in Calif. then...

Ok, woodstorks again! Maybe resting while migrating? 

Sunrise over the Atlantic... low tide at sunrise happens every two weeks. This is when I go to the beach.

A very large sand dollar! I've found 2-3 others this size, very exciting! 

An angelwing...I need to try to whiten my collection of these.

This is the last of my photos for last year, to share. I hope you've enjoyed them!

Here's what the shell chips look like that I mentioned at the top of this post...these have been cleaned and are drying...

I think they'd make really nice mosaic pieces, in place of tile bits, right?! Or they could be used for jewelry pendants.