Under mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 50’s, Caroline and I begin hiking along an oceanside beach in Torrance, California. Soon, I come upon a pile of beach wrack inhabited by a swarm of Kelp flies. These 1/3-inch flies and their larvae feed on stranded and rotting seaweed, particularly Kelp. They are ecologically important in the turnover of organic material on the coast. In this role they also are important item in the diet of beach-dwelling animals and birds. Glancing seaward, I watch a group of Least Sandpipers scurrying and feeding along the swash zone. These small shorebirds eat small invertebrates such as amphipods, isopods, gastropods, horseshoe crab eggs, water fleas, midges and flies. They peck at prey on the surface and probe damp sand for buried prey, using the surface tension of the water to transport the item quickly from their bill tips to their mouths. After seeing a half-dozen Brown Pelicans flying low above the surf zone, I continue down the sandy beach where I notice a 2-inch piece of a West Coast Venus Clam shell and an 8-inch rotting coconut. Since coconut palm trees are rare in California, this one likely floated many miles over many days to get here. Looking again toward the water, I see a Eurasian Whimbrel. These large shorebirds are the most widespread of the curlews, nesting in the Arctic across North America and Eurasia while wintering on the coasts of six continents. The name 'Whimbrel,' originating in England, apparently began as a loose interpretation of the bird's call. Further down the beach, I pause to observe a 6-inch, porous rock of volcanic Pumice and a 6-inch rock of Red Kimberlite that gets much of its color from minerals of purplish-red garnet. This rock was named after Kimberley, South Africa where diamonds were originally found in weathered Kimberlite. Reaching a rocky beach, I come upon the carcass of a Brandt’s Cormorant and a “Swiss Cheese” rock. The holes in this rock are the work of piddock clams or, more commonly, boring clams. This clam uses the sharp, rough-textured end of its wing-shaped shell to drill perfectly round holes through stone. Turning around, I focus on the steep cliffs next to the beach. As a result of recent heavy rain, I’m not surprised to notice a significant mudslide. Among the debris, I spot one of several Yellow-rumped Warblers. While these birds are year round residents out here, they are migrants in mid-Michigan where they breed in the upper Peninsula and Canada. Nearing the car, I notice blossoms of Sea Rocket and Ice Plant.
Much about nature
Yet to behold
Her many secrets
Yet to unfold
New places to hike
Trails to walk
New plants to find
Creatures to stalk
Season after season
Year after year
No matter where
Her call I hear
D. DeGraaf
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