A Fun, Fun Day!

The low tides are getting later and later, soon it will be after dark, and they will not be as low....so I'm grabbing every bit of daylight I can in the evening! I went to Bowman's beach which is quite a ride from home, the water was that beautiful blue and oh so clear! I started out walking in a tidal pool....this was my first scoop!

A Rough Scallop, Gaudy Nautica and Olive

The water was so clear, I couldn't resist the amazing colors on all the scallops!

These pictures don't do them justice! That orange is so vibrant!

I even picked up this ugly Alternate Tellin....I bet it will clean up just fine!

I had walked a pretty long way, and reached the end of the tidal pool....the waves were not bad, so I decided to try my luck at "lookin' and scoopin'"....a technique that my Shelling Buddy Cheri has perfected.....and Viola!!!! Thanks, Cheri!!! ;)

I got this tiny little ugly Florida Cone....

As I moved down the beach, I saw more and more stuff rolling in the surf....

Florida Cone, Tiny King's Crown, Chesnut Turban and colorful Calico Scallops

I was having a blast!!! And it was getting later and later....

I kept walking and scooping, on down the beach! I couldn't stop! At one point I had my left hand full, and a bunch of stuff in the scoop....I was getting pretty good at this!

Juvenile Fighting Conch (with awesome pattern), 2 Beautiful Orange Horse Conchs, Small Lightning Whelk...and more Scallops!

I finally had to just stop! My bag was fuller than it has been in a long time!

I had a long walk back, and didn't want to do it in the dark!...Looks like a postcard picture doesn't it?!

I walked back with a Lady that had the same luck....most of the week....

The whole time I was there I could hear birds up on the beach, they sounded just like a Squeaky toy!....I managed to snap a picture of one, 

They are tiny little birds, and are adorable...I believe they are called a Least Tern, they appeared to be nesting all over in this area....I got a little too close and a couple of them buzzed me from overhead....so I scooted on down the beach....

There were lots of areas marked off either for nesting or Turtle crawls....I saw two on my way back that were very recent...and not yet marked! (A Turtle Crawl is the tracks left in the sand by a female turtle that comes on shore, buries her eggs, notice the tracks left by 'walking' or pulling herself along  the sand with her fins, while her belly drags in the center!)

Have I mentioned lately that I just love this place?! So much to see! One day, I'm going to be one of the 'Turtle Walkers' that walks the beaches early and marks nests....and keeps count!!

I found this guy on my walk back...can't resist a Worm Shell!

The sun seemed to grow as it entered the Gulf.....another Beautiful Day in paradise!

I'd say I had a pretty good shelling day too....wouldn't you?

Such fun!! Stay tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Slim Pickins

Sorry I haven't posted in some time, really not much to post....I have walked the beaches from the Lighthouse up past Tarbon Bay Rd in the last 6 days....tonight and tomorrow night I will walk the rest, Bowman's and Blindpass! Then Turner, which is on Captiva....I watched this thunderstorm pretty closely, and believe it or not, it split in two and went away before it came on shore! 

These are some of the finds along this walk....there was very little in the 'middle' of the island, along Middle Gulf Road..... I did find this pretty little Lace Murex....

I did find quite a few Olives.....

...And a couple of Shark's Eye....

That was about it from Middle Gulf.....

Last night at Tarpon Bay was better....quite a few minis...here are a few....

From Left: Fighting Conch, Bubble, Worm Shell, Nutmeg, Scallop & a few more Fighters!

I did find what I believe to be a Knobless Fighting Conch....

There was also a lot more 'life' up at Tarbon Bay ..... 
I saw several Live Sand Dollars....much smaller than this, this one was Huge!

Live Lightning Whelk....

and several Live King's Crown.....

This BEAUTIFUL Ribbed Cantharus had a hermit....so back he went!

I scooped up this awesome little crab in my net....looks like someone painted him with a marker....hit the books, couldn't find out what type he is! (Sorry, the picture is out of focus....he's tiny!

On the way back, I spotted this guy on the beach....very unusual to me....I believe it is a Streaked Sphinx Moth!

All kinds of amazing things here!

This is six days of low tide shelling....not great, but as I always say, the therapy is wonderful!

Stay tuned! 

::Shelllady Hugs::

A Short Trip...

Last night's trip was a little bit short, I wouldn't walk too far away, as thunderstorms were all around the island, and the tide wasn't very low so it was difficult to see into the water. Very cloudy!.....

The tide at it's lowest did make it so I could see a little bit in the tidal pool...I know I've mentioned it before, this is my favorite type of shelling....slow and steady with lots of concentration! The best therapy there is, for me!
Pretty soon I started finding a few treasures...

A Nice Shiny Olive Shell....

Hooorah...an Alphabet Cone! Not pristine, but into my bag it went!

I found lots of Nutmegs...of every size...

and for some reason, I still can't pass up a dark Lightning Whelk!....here with another Olive (for you Sheila) and a Juvenile Fighting Conch with a cool pattern...lots of these little guys out there!

The highlight of the trip was this Scallop!

It's HUGE and perfect! I've done a little research, and I believe it's called a Ravenel Scallop....it is very deep and concaved...almost as much as a cockle...and if I read it correctly, I think the top is flat!.....I looked around but couldn't find the top half of it....what a find that would be!   If anyone thinks I'm wrong about this, please let me know! Don't you love it when you find something new and have to 'hit the books' to look things up?

There were several live sand dollars that had washed up, so I carefully placed them back in the tidal pool....I love these guys!

I also came across this live Shark's eye....

with the Operculum still attached!

The tides and the storms pushed me out, but I headed home a happy customer....with plans on returning soon! Stay tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::