Lightning Storm with Friends!

Sanibel's waters are clearing up...daily. Let's just hope it stays that way! It finally seemed clear enough that Team Cheri took to the water yesterday....we actually weren't snorkeling, we were scooping! Before the evening was done, we looked like we had been snorkeling....soaked thru and thru by waves in the face and on our backsides....actually knocking us down. But... what Fun! Plentiful too!!

For the first time in my shelling career, I actually FILLED up my shell bag!!!

I managed to pick up 43 Lightning Whelks!

Besides Lightnings I found Kings Crowns...

Lots of Shark's Eyes....

and a couple of Gaudy Nauticas

They looked so much prettier after rinsing them off, I had to snap another picture...

Cheri did great too....she actually is more choosy than I am, she filters out shells she doesn't want and throws them back at the end...maybe I need to learn to do that, I wouldn't have so many!!!
Here are her finds...

Notice she got Alphabets, a pretty Pear Whelk and Lace Murex and even a Scotch Bonnet!!! Look at the gorgeous color of that Lightning Whelk top left...and the inside of the large whelk in the center is actually purple!!!

Not long after we got there, our friends Donnie (The Shellinator) and Christine (The Shellinatrix) walked up....

From Left: Donnie, Me, Cheri and Christine

They actually snorkeled and did very well also....there were plenty of shells to go around! You can see from their bags in this next pic!

Everybody found Alphabet Cones....but me! I'm gonna have to knuckle down and get me an Alphie!! ;) We had such a GREAT time!! I felt like I had been in a washing machine for a few hours....and I slept like a baby last night!! :)



In other news....from earlier this week, I went back out with Cheri Bird Nerding at Bunche Beach...

These guys get pretty close to her....see how close these are behind her?

We always see such interesting things there....these are called Ice Cream Cone worm shells....they were EVERYWHERE....

and several had these Bubbles attached to the end....not sure what that is about, but I will continue to research it...

These tubes are actually made up of sand....here is one I have in my collection....was afraid to pick it up because I am sure it is fragile as it has dried...

I saw several places that had Kings Crown eggs...like on the end of this log....

there were tiny little Sea Hares....this one has his Antennae out on his head (to the left) they look like a butterfly or bat when they swim....very graceful. This one has his 'wings' wrapped around his body...like he's hugging himself....

Here is one swimming that I googled...

So many cool things to see!!

Since it was low tide at Bunch there was lots of sand...and there were these little fiddler crabs everywhere....they leave these little balls of sand next to their holes...and move so fast in and out of them.  The hole is at the very top and if you look REALLY closely I got a pic of one of them here....can you spy the crab?

Cheri got a much better picture of one! they are tiny!

Of course we saw many live Kings Crown and I always have to snap pictures of them...

 Surprise! This one has a Hermit Crab in it!! I haven't seen this very often...they are usually live with their snails!

Well, one more trip before I leave, maybe two....but Shellcrafters tomorrow! So Stay Tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Bird Nerding at Bunche with Shells on the side

Team Cheri decided to hit Bunche Beach in Ft. Myers. Cheri calls herself a 'Bird Nerd', she spends lots of time photographing the many birds at Ding on Sanibel and recently won third place in their photo contest! It was also posted in Today's local paper...The News Press...a half page picture!!!

She also reads leg tags on birds by zooming in with and then is able to follow their migration on line! Really interesting and Cool Stuff! I decided to tag along with her yesterday (and maybe pick up a shell or two!) 

She found a Piping Plover that had been tagged at Virginia Tech!! 

Small world...that is our daughter's Alma Mater and a football team we had seasons tickets for 12 years!! Go Hokies!

She also got pics of a Royal Tern, taking a bath...

a Willet eating a snack...(crab)

and Marbled Godwit...how pretty are these guys?!

It was so interesting...the Bird Nerd certainly knows her stuff!

 and she has good squat muscles!!! ;)

As we were checking out the birds, we were checking out the beaches and tidal pools too!...Bunche never disappoints....lots of live Kings Crowns...

Cheri even found one snacking on a crab!

I found all three types of Angel Wings!

On the left is a False Angel Wing, Center is an Angel Wing and the right is a Fallen Angel Wing....

It is also known as a Mud-Piddock!

Cheri found a beautiful pair of Rose Tellins....

and I believe these are also Rose Tellins....the book says they go from Rosy white....which are these, I believe to bright pink....

Cheri also found a beautiful Kings Crown that was empty....it's beautiful!

And the Morton's Egg Cockles!!!! First I filled up my small jar....

...and like every shelling addict, I couldn't stop there must have been billions of them out there...all different, a perfect pair!....had to get my larger container out! Here's a video of only a 5 foot area!

I managed to find one little Wentletrap in the group!

I also found a couple of empty Kings Crowns, & Sunray Venus.

Cheri did too!

We decided to stay for the sunset...and it did not disappoint!

What a cool adventure....she just might turn me into a Bird Nerd too!!!

My trip is quickly growing to an end....but Stay Tuned, I have a few more days left!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Catching up....

The first day shelling was last Tuesday, I got out just before sunrise....the beach therapy started immediately....it was instant!

The beaches looked so much better than it had on my last trip...though it was very windy and the gulf was churning....Hurricane Michael was on the way....it was west of us, but we did get some pretty rough water....we even had foam along the beach...

It did push the water up on Sanibel, but only for a day or so as it passed by.  I feel so badly for the panhandle...they are devastated, it's so hard to see! I lift them up daily in my prayers.

I did find a few strange things....a few bones....

and I collected some Pufferfish spikes.....gotta find some craft to use these, though they are fairly hard to find now.... that's all I found! The therapy was the most important thing!

Wednesday I didn't go shelling at all, the Gulf was extremely rough, and I didn't even come out to the island due to some flash flooding.

Thursday, Team Cheri got together and went out just before sunrise....we took a nice long walk at Bowman's beach....we did find some unusual things....like these round things....not sure what they are!!!

They may be a type of sponge, I think the bottom one is a Loggerhead sponge, but that is just guessing and looking in my books....any help would be awesome! The top one looks like it has some hair on it!! 

Thursday, Cheri's Flat radar was working well! First few steps she found this huge one!

It has also been the day to find Lightning Whelks....it appears that everyone has been finding these guys!

Cheri collected several!

We were walking back, and I completely missed this one!!! Almost tripped over it! Cheri finally said something....guess I was looking at little stuff! 

 It's a nice one too!

Here are my finds for the day....

Cheri had some good finds, too!

Today I decided to try some therapy at Blind Pass....the water looked much better today....fingers crossed that it will stay that way!

And there were birds!!!!! So excited to see them!
Flocks of Pelicans in formation....

Ibis strolling along the shore....

This Cormorant was just checking out the beach....

This Bald Eagle dove down right in front of me! I was watching him, he flew just above me and I grabbed my camera....not fast enough, he dove in, picked up a snack and flew off!

I didn't find many shells, a Bittersweet....

and a nice piece of coral were the highlights of the day....

Tomorrow I spend the day at the Shellcrafters, which is a blast!  

So now you are 'caught up!'

Stay tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::