In March, we were able to escape to the Cape for a few days and enjoy some winter beachcombing. We stayed at Smuggler's beach in Yarmouth and I was happy to see Brant Geese feeding on Sea Lettuce (a marine alga) close to shore. Further out were a few Bufflehead ducks - also a treat to see!
A nice Blood Ark shell.
The next morning we woke to a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean.
After breakfast we made our way out to Chatham and the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. This was our first time there so we were really excited to explore the area. We drove out through Chatham and onto Morris island. From the Refuge headquarters there - we were able to take a short walk down to the beach. It was high tide so we could not go far but what we did see was marvelous. This next photo is of one of the walkways down to the beach. While on the beach we filmed this short video of the many treasures we found. Watch to the end and you'll get a nice panorama of the shoreline. It was breathtaking!
From Chatham we back tracked along rte. 28 until we got to Cockle Cove Rd. which took us down to Cockle Cove beach. It was a really sweet beach with lots of great shells and other beach combing treasures. We also stopped at Forest Beach which was right around the corner from Cockle Cove. Both excellent beach combing areas. Here are some of the great treasures we found:
Cockle Cove Beach.
Knobbed Whelk egg casings. Each disc can contain over a hundred eggs which hatch into tiny whelks. I just read that these egg casings are called Venus necklaces. Good to know!
Horseshoe Crab carapace.
Atlantic Jackknife Clam - also called Common Razor Clam.
Shark's Eye or Lobed Moon snail shell.
Underside of a Spider Crab.
I found this snail shell on the beach and knew it was not a Northern Moon Snail or a Shark's Eye Moon snail so I asked the folks at Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and was told this is most likely a European Garden Snail.
I only kept a few of the many shells we found as seen in the photo below. The most common shells we found are the common and flat slipper shells, jingle shells, oyster shells, and blood ark shells.
I only kept a few of the many shells we found as seen in the photo below. The most common shells we found are the common and flat slipper shells, jingle shells, oyster shells, and blood ark shells.
Slipper shells and Blood ark shell.
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