Final AM in RI - Crab Art!
Thank you for coming along on my adventures in Westerly, RI - I so appreciate sharing the beauty of this very special place with all of you. This post is from my last morning outing. I was up extra early - I wanted to be in place back at that special cove well before sunrise. As I walked out on that path it was so alive with birdsong - it was so beautiful to hear all of our feathered friends belting out their songs!
Temperature was once again perfect - low fifties with no wind - and just a little fog. As soon as I rounded the last little corner of the path to the cove I knew once again I had entered a very special place. Because I was there so early I decided to set up low and try to capture the sunrise for you.
Come along with me as we gaze at this remarkable sunrise…
Not too long I saw some blobs in the water to my left… so I picked up moved to get a better view… it was two horseshoe crabs! Each morning I had seen a couple of crabs either on the sand or near the water but I had not seen them in the water. Many years ago, probably 25 years ago, Lorraine and I were walking on the beach on the bayside in Eastham on the Cape during Memorial Day Weekend. About 10 minutes into our walk we realized that there were Horseshoe Crabs absolutely everywhere - it was their mating season! We never forgot that experience - it was truly unforgettable…
Thankfully these crabs were very close to the edge of the water in very shallow water so I tried to see what I could get for shots…
I then heard the piercing call of a Willet - just in time to capture this after it had landed -
I moved a little further down the beach to see these three crabs together…
Once again the piercing calls of Willets - I looked back towards the sun to find this pair that had just landed…
I moved further down the beach and found this crab underwater in very shallow water… absolutely love seeing all of the shells attached to his back. Please look closely at all of the marking on the sand from the tails and bodies of the horseshoe crabs scraping along on the surface of the sand as they were moving in the water…
Just as the sun lit up this section of the sandy beach area I saw this absolutely stunning, otherworldly sight - I am calling it - Crab Art! Look at how busy all of the crabs were during the night and early morning hours. I had been exactly in this spot the day before - none of these markings were there then! The tail markings, the indentations from where the crabs had rested, the markings from dragging their bodies toward each other and then to the water - simply amazing and so striking…
I saw a flash of color that flew by to my right just in time to capture this pair of Willets coming in for their landing.
Just behind my left shoulder I heard the gorgeous song of a Yellow Warbler - I was able to spot its profile - I shot almost directly into the rising sun with some fog rolling in…
You know who landed to the right of the warbler….
And just as quickly as the fog had rolled in it rolled out and left this most beautiful clear, pristine air behind - with our friend the Yellow Warbler just waiting for me to see him in his beautiful breeding plumage - so handsome!
And good morning to you!
Now that is what I call belting out your song!
I so love when I am lucky enough to have a moment of direct eye contact….there is nothing like it…
I continued on and another round of fog was moving in and around me creating such sensational lighting…. and to my right I spotted this awesome Eastern Towhee - wow!
Again, as quickly as the fog moved in it moved out.
To my left I spotted another Towhee…
This is my last shot from this wonderful adventure in Westerly - another Towhee belting out his beautiful song….
Thanks for coming along with me… I hope that you enjoyed it…