Intertidal life

We did a very quick walk along to near the Mouth on 16 August.  There were quite a few interesting things!

What we thought was a small shingle bank turned out to be a pile on many different tyes of small shells.  A mystery why such a dense lot are piled up here, and nowhere else on the beach.

 This close up shows the diversity.

 A standard, but quite pretty, starfish was attached to a blade of kelp.

This longer limbed brittle star was lurking in a lump of washed up cunjevoi.  It was very happy in there and did not want to come out to play!

 This looked like a clump of weed - apart from the claws.

The an incoming wave tipped it over and it started walking back into the water, trailing bubbles.  At home Frances was able to identify it as Notomithrax ursus, Bear Seaweed Crab.

Stretching the term 'intertidal' to the top of the bank we noticed a Red-capped  Plover doing a good distraction display.  We followed it for a few steps and then it turned and scurried  ...

.. back towards the vegetation, sitting down on what was surely some eggs.  This photo was taken at several metres distance so as not to upset it further.

Here is a close up with the 'organised' bits of shell clearly visible.