Freeland Town Park - 2008

Purple varnish clams

Moon snail

Nucella lamellosa

Data keeper

Freeland Town Park

Profiling

It was a gung ho group that showed up at Freeland Town Park on May 9th. Nancy Bartlett arrived via kayak and Sharon Dunn brought along her cute as a button new fluff-ball of a puppy, Chaco. Bob Buck headed up the team of nine and reports that the high point of the day for him was finding a tiny 5 rayed sea star tucked among the mussels on the side of a rock. Libby Hayward was surprised by the presence of many highly frilled bright orange Nucella lamellosa (snails). Nancy Bartlett spotted a clump of nudibranch eggs and her husband, Tom got a good explanation of what moonsnails eat from Eugene Thrasher. Eugene dug a moonsnail out of the sand and discovered that it had its mantle wrapped around a good sized clam, apparently intending to dine on the unfortunate bivalve. One rather startling finding at this beach was the incredible number of nonnative purple varnish clams (Nuttallia obscurata) now being found there. A sample dig using a small shovel yielded a dozen of the 2 inch bivalves in just one scoop. This clam was first documented in Washington waters in 1993 having previously been noted in the Strait of Georgia. It is native to Asia.

Ala Spit - 2008

Lacuna egg

Spartina

Balanus crenatus

Ala Spit group

Ala Spit team photo

A pair of bald eagles performed a low level flyover to get the Ala Spit team off to a great start on May 9th. The team of nine, led by Sammye Kempbell, was delighted by the sunshine and warm spring temperatures as they peered under rocks and combed the eelgrass in search of biota. Charlie Seablom found an eelgrass limpet and also a single sprig of invasive Spartina. Other standout finds of the day were those of the tiny nonnative lined anemone (Haliplanella), green and purple ribbon worms(Emplectonema gracile & Paranemertes paregrina), tiny Lacuna snail eggs, smooth white barnacles (Balanus crenatus), and everybody's favorite little red arachnid, Neomolgus. As the monitoring procedures progressed, the beach also played host to Bonapart's gulls, eight great blue herons, and a Columbian blacktail deer.

Pratt's Bluff

Red rock crab with molt

Gobiesox meandricus

Bubble snail

Pratt's Bluff team photo 2008

May 8th found the Pratt's Bluff team checking out their stretch of beach, located on Whidbey Island's east side near Greenbank. Finn Gatewood led the team and reports that her highlight for the day was finding an opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis). Two other nudibranch species were also discovered that morning, a shaggy mouse nudibranch (Aeolidia papillosa) and a barnacle-eating nudibranch (Onchidoris bilamellata) as well as a bubble snail (Haminoea sp.) which is a nudibranch cousin. While Libby Haywood was fascinated by a newly molted and still soft red rock crab (Cancer productus) found near its outgrown and discarded exoskeleton, Ken Urstad was more focused on the gunnels and clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus) found concealed beneath the beach rocks. Kathy Fritts and Doris Hood brought along friends who were amazed as the hidden life on the beach was revealed. The team documented nine species of seaweed and more than forty species of animals.

Partridge Point - 2008

Pycnapodia

Brittle star

Entodesma

Ophlitaspongia

Haliclona

Porcelain crab

Partridge Point team photo 2008

It was a small but determined group who took on Partridge Point on May 7th. Overcast skies could not dampen their enthusiasm as they identified over one hundred seaweed, seagrass, and invertebrate species. Brand new Beach Watcher Lili Yokom dove right into monitoring, her eagle eyes picking up several species that would have otherwise been missed. She reported that the highlights of the day for her were finding sea cucumbers (Cucumaria miniata) and brittle stars. Brian Giles spotted a Northwest ugly clam (Entodesma navicula) a species uncommon on Whidbey beaches. Jan Holmes and Libby Hayward focused on documenting quadrat data, sorting through a thick blanket of layer upon layer of seaweed and surfgrass (Phyllospadix sp). Exploration of the rich fauna yielded kelp crabs (Pugettia producta), pygmy rock crabs (Cancer oregonensis), porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes), red (Ophlitaspongia) and purple (Haliclona) sponge, and several small sunflower stars (Pycnapodia helianthoides).