Killdeer and a roll of eelgrass

Even at high tide, the beach always holds surprises for us. On the narrow strip of rocks between the railway and the waves at Semiahmoo yesterday, we tracked three killdeer. They hid almost at our feet, invisible against the piles of rotting eelgrass, then broke cover with a worried, "Peep!" and flew a few feet away to melt into the background again. And again. Eventually, our eyes adjusted. And before they finally flew away, they allowed us to get some photos.

"Peep!" he said. A worry call.

I wanted a couple of things from the beach; some fresh sea lettuce for my aquarium critters, and a fair-sized kelp holdfast, just to see what it might contain. Each kind of seaweed harbours different organisms, and the holdfast, attached to the sea floor below the intertidal level, would probably be home to critters we don't usually see, even at really low tides.

Laurie untangled a few for me from a new eel-grass and kelp roll. He had to get out his knife to cut through the stipe on the largest. I bagged them up and brought them home.

And they were full of goodies! It has taken all afternoon and evening to sort through everything. I'll have the first of the photos tomorrow.