Beach Ramble

Blue mussels washed up into the wrack line

Once a month, Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts has a Beach Ramble, led by my compatriot Doug.  The Beach Ramble looks at the biodiversity of the Beach Loop Trail.  We look at and discover the fauna and flora of the various habitats that we walked through.  Starting out at the field station, we walked through fields, go by a salt-marsh and a salt pond, travel along the road that passes between the pond and the beach and finally walk up the beach.  Every time we do the ramble, there is always something different that we find the pending on the season and what the waves bring into the shore.

Milkweed beetles mating

Bayberries in the early stage of growth, you can see the waxy outer coat

Claw of a blue crab, with the red pincers you can tell it was a female

Some of the many cobbles on the beach

A fish head showing its teeth, probably a Tautog

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Northern rock barnacles in the canal between Allens Pond and the pannes

Red Seaweed - Gracilaria

Red Seaweed - Polysiphonia

Rosa Rugosa Hips

The next Beach Ramble will be held August 10 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM, everybody is welcome from five years old and on up.  This is a free walk, but please register either online https://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Allens_Pond/index.php or by phone 508-636-2437.  Hope to see you there.