Thursday, February 28, 2013

♥ Goodbye~Huntington Beach SP ♥

Howdee all,

It had to end…it was time to move on..

Our last evening and morning at

♥ Huntington Beach State Park, SC ♥

 

From our campground..I heard the roar of the ocean..much louder than any day of the 12 days we were at Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach SP last photos_001The waves were larger, more white caps..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_002It was windy..and cold on the beach..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_006We decided to head back to the campground and walk to the causeway to catch the sunset.

On our way we noticed rainbow colors shining thru the clouds..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_007

My friend Barb Padgett posted a photo on my facebook wall a few days earlier of

Circumzenithal arcs..

In a previous post I saw similar colors in a cloud

I didn’t think that the Circumzenithal arc..looked like what I saw..

When my sister posted this link to

Fire Rainbows..a few of the photos looked more like what I saw..I learned that both fire rainbows and Circumzenithal arcs are one and the same.

Causeway and North Beach_099

In another post I have photos of a Sun dogchristmas_035

To me the rainbow colors I saw this day looked more like Sun Dogs

What do you think?

Huntington Beach SP last photos_008We took the trail thru the dunes and headed for

The causeway..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_012For the sunset…

Huntington Beach SP last photos_017It did not disappoint!

Huntington Beach SP last photos_022

The following morning we took our last walk on the beach…

We knew that the previous nights surf might have washed a few things ashore..

It was still high tide so we didn’t see much debris.

We did see a Park ranger empty a crab trap that washed ashore..

He left the crab in the low tide area..

The tide was turning to low and the crab were stuck there…

Huntington Beach SP last photos_030We would have loved to scoop them up and boil them up with some Old Bay seasoning..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_028

We didn’t..

we were at a State Park and it wasn’t  allowed..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_032Instead…we threw them into deeper water..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_027We walked a bit further..

Below Jeff walks with a handful of plastic…

Jeff and I both collected lots of plastic bags that had washed ashore…

Huntington Beach SP last photos_054

Further down the beach..

A banded Ipswich (Savannah) Sparrow

Huntington Beach SP last photos_036

This one had some yellow..

Huntington Beach SP last photos_040

A lovely end to a wonderful stay at

♥ Huntington Beach State Park, SC ♥

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

We are now in Hollywood!

Not California ..

Stay tuned!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Look what the storm brought in..

Howdee all,

A few days ago it was windy and rainy all day..

The following morning we knew we had go to the beach.

Its always fun to walk the beach after a storm…

Check out the interesting things the storm brought in..

Beach Debris North beach_037

Beach Debris North beach_020

I don’t know what many of these things are…

Beach Debris North beach_005Starfish

Beach Debris North beach_006I was told the blobs we were seeing were

Sea PorkBeach Debris North beach_011

SEA PORK, Amaroucium stellatum, a large colonial ascidian found attached to rocks. Its smooth, slippery test comes in a variety of handsome colors ranging through pink, green, red and lavender. Along many parts of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, beachcombers find these rubbery chunks of protoplasm cast upon the beach. They range from a few inches to chunks weighing 10 pounds, and produce good tadpole larvae in the spring.

Beach Debris North beach_008

The tunicates. Who would believe that these large, fleshly blobs resembling a sponge for all practical appearances, are one of the most highly evolved of all marine invertebrates? In their adult form they are little more than a water pump, pumping water in through their vascular system, extracting nutrients and pumping the water out. It is in their larval stage that the tunicates display the characteristics which make them part of the same chordate phylum to which all fish, birds, reptiles and mammals belong.

Beach Debris North beach_012

Habitat:
Sea pork is subtidal, found from the low tide line to depths of approximately 30 feet.  Colonies grow on hard substrates such as mangrove roots, rock jetties, pilings and floating docks.

Beach Debris North beach_016I don’t know if this is also sea pork

Beach Debris North beach_017Sea weed of some sort

Beach Debris North beach_018There were blobs of sea pork all over the beach.

Beach Debris North beach_019Many shapes, sizes and colors

Beach Debris North beach_027

This was very interesting..and sculptural

Beach Debris North beach_031Sea cucumber

Beach Debris North beach_034Shrunk when touched..

Beach Debris North beach_035Sand Shark?

Beach Debris North beach_039Egg casing of some sort?

Beach Debris North beach_043Holy Sea Pork!

Beach Debris North beach_045A type of sea sponge?

Beach Debris North beach_047More Pork..

Beach Debris North beach_049This specimen was over a foot long..

Beach Debris North beach_050Purple Pork and weeds..

Beach Debris North beach_051We did see a few birds as well..

Beach Debris North beach_052This little peep was a real treat to see.

Beach Debris North beach_053Piping Plover

Beach Debris North beach_057

Beach Debris North beach_058

An interesting day at the beach.

…………………………………………………

We just left Huntington Beach State Park this morning..

headed to Charleston SC for a few days.

See you there!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Causeway Birds and North Beach

Howdee all,

 

A few days ago Jeff and I had a late start to our daily walk so we decided to try a different loop …

 

Instead of doing the 5 mile walk to the jetty and back we thought since it was low tide we would see what birds were hanging out at the causeway…we would walk to the jetty from there and loop back to the campground catching the setting sun.

The causeway is a short half mile walk from the campground.

Huntington Beach State Park..

A nice mix of Snowy Egret and White Ibis

Causeway and North Beach_017Black-bellied Plover

Causeway and North Beach_007White Ibis and Snowy Egret

Causeway and North Beach_022

The shells in the photos are oysters..

Immature White Ibis

Causeway and North Beach_023Great Egret

Causeway and North Beach_024We left the causeway and walked the nature center, we walked the pier into the marsh area, seeing more shorebirds, Egrets, and Pelican.

Walking off the boardwalk I spotted the outline of a Volkswagen Beetle sticking out of the grass..

I was wondering why they didn’t remove it..

Causeway and North Beach_035OH..

ha ha..that’s why!

Sure fooled me!

Causeway and North Beach_034

We left the Nature Center and walked to the north parking lot and onto the beach for the 1.5 mile walk North Beach to the jetty.

I stopped to pull a Valentines balloon out of the surf…

Causeway and North Beach_040Beach art brought in by the surf..

Causeway and North Beach_043Jeff shadow dancing..

Causeway and North Beach_050The beach is ever changing..

this day we come across many starfish.

Causeway and North Beach_055Jeff and I did a quick walk to the east end of the Jetty to peer at the Razorbill again..

We then walked to the west end of the jetty onto the inland beach.. to look for shorebirds..

Causeway and North Beach_060Semipalmated Plover and Dunlin.

Causeway and North Beach_071

Short-billed Dowitcher and Dunlin..

Causeway and North Beach_074We lingered here watching shorebirds until it was time to walk the 2 miles back to the campground..

Causeway and North Beach_076We timed it right..

It was not a colorful sunset..but it was lovely..

Causeway and North Beach_078looking behind us I notice the sun streaming thru a hole in the clouds…

Causeway and North Beach_079We stop and talk to another couple walking north toward where we came from..

Causeway and North Beach_081And watch them move further away..

Causeway and North Beach_084The view south..

Causeway and North Beach_082We turn and face north again for some shadow fun..

Causeway and North Beach_087Walking south toward the campground..I notice some rainbow colors coming from the clouds..Causeway and North Beach_096I took a few photos to try and capture the subtle colors..

Causeway and North Beach_099

Does anyone know what causes this, or what it is called?

Causeway and North Beach_100We leave the beach talking the pathway back to the campground..

Causeway and North Beach_105

A deer greats us..

Causeway and North Beach_103And in the dark of the woods…

I find the final photo of the day..

WE

Causeway and North Beach_106

Huntington Beach State Park