Beach Invaders

Walking the beach at low tide is always interesting. In addition to the wide variety of plants and animals that can be found on the surface of the sediment as well as in it, one can often find traces of animals that have invaded the beach at low tide looking for food or a place to rest.

Both night and day, mammals such as raccoons roam the mud flats looking for food while deer may use the beach as a road from one upland meadow to another. Birds ranging from sandpipers and crows to herons and sea gulls prowl about looking for a meal. How do we know this? Well often just watching from a hiding place can reveal who is moving about. At night it's different. We can't see without a big light that might scare away some animals. Your only hope is looking for animal tracks during the day.

In the photograph are the tracks of several mud flat hunters. The Great Blue Heron is looking for fish in the shallows as the tide goes out. Geese wander about nibbling at the seaweed or resting. The raccoon was probably seeking crabs. And the human? Well probably looking for oysters or clams or just admiring the beauty of nature.

There are several good books that have drawings of animal tracks that will allow you to identify the owner.

So next time you are at the beach look for the tracks of animals that were there before you.