plant/animal reference) to get a bigger picture
Haliplanella |
Lugworm 4 in long |
Lugworm - another view |
This beach on the south shore of Skagit Bay used to be characterized by boot-removing mud and a rapidly spreading Spartina meadow. Over the last few years the Spartina has largely disappeared (due to aggressive treatment by the State). The remaining Spartina hummocks have been colonized by beach arrowgrass and Fucus sp. The mud however remains. This beach is also home to a colony of purple martins, the largest swallow in North America, who use nest boxes attached to the old logging pilings.
Survey results were similar to last year in terms of species present along the profile and in the quadrats. This is not a beach where we find a lot of different species within the boundaries of the profile. This year 21 different plants and animals were identified which is up a few from last year. Although never abundant, there were no limpets found this year. We did find many small lined anemones, Haliplanella lineata.
The big discovery of the day was a lugworm, a polychaete, which Mary Jo has been trying for years to get a good picture of. (The English Boom lugworm will probably be appearing soon among the EZ ID photos on the Beach Watchers website for Island Co.)
One final note: No intertidal Spartina was seen this year in the area near the profile, but behind the storm berm there is a small lagoon in which a 2-3 year old clone of Spartina was discovered. It was removed.
BW Monitoring Group |
New species found |
And last but not least, John was happy to report that no BWs were lost to the killer mud this year and they didn't even break out the Muck-O-Lids. Thanks to John C. for this report and his excellent pictures. And Mary Jo Adams sent over a great one of the mentioned lugworm, as seen above. Note also that there was a new strange species found on this beach -- by the name of Bridger - also seen above!
