Ala Spit

Charlie gives an explanation Charlie gives an explanation

Taking a profile reading Taking a profile reading

Ala Spit team photo 2010 Ala Spit team photo 2010

..Evasterias troschelii.. Mottled sea star 3-rayed seastar 3-rayed seastar

..Haliplanella lineata.. Striped anemone Haliplanella lineata Haliplanella lineata

..Zostera marina.. Eelgrass Eelgrass Eelgrass

..Abarenicola pacifica.. Lugworm Lugworm fecal spiral Lugworm fecal spiral

Sammye Kempbell's Ala Spit team hit the beach on May 14th when the tide fell back to -2.3 feet. Half of the team was made up of brand new Beach Watchers from the class of 2010 working on their very first monitoring project. They were eager to learn and bursting with enthusiasm. Highlights for the day included digging up a lugworm after finding a hole in the sand marked with the characteristic "cake decorator" fecal spiral, the discovery of a crescent gunnel that had taken refuge under an empty clam shell, and a mottled sea star (Evasterias troschelli) with only three full rays and 2 buds that marked the emergence of replacements for the two that were missing. A polychaete from the family Glyceridae entertained the team everting its massive proboscis and one of the new folks surprised even herself with the utterance that "Worms are fun!" The tiny anemone Haliplanella lineata was also found as were pickleweed and the native eelgrass, Zostera marina. A Skagit County Beach Watcher came by and said hello as he hiked along the spit working on his COAST bird survey. It was a fun day of sunshine and discovery!

Ala Spit - April 26, 2009

Dungeness crab

Ala Spit team photo2009

Eelgrass

The 2009 monitoring season was off to a busy start with three beaches going under scrutiny on April 26th. The Ala Spit team, headed up by Sammye Kempbell had a broad expanse of sand and muddy sand to inventory. In the middle intertidal zone, they found half a dozen small nonnative Haliplanella lineata (commonly called lined anemones) that were hidden among mussel clumps. Further down in the eelgrass, Jim Somers and Pattie Hutchins spotted two large Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) dug into the soft substrate with only their eyes and a bit of carapace exposed. Several small gunnel eels were also found lurking amongst the eelgrass. Barry Dunn commented that the highlight for her was just getting the team together and seeing everyone again.

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.