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| Rodinesque Point |
Do
you realize it is over a year since we’ve been rock pooling together? Last January
we went down to Ferma Harbour and had a lovely haul of Hermit Crabs, Spiny
Starfish and Rock Pool Prawns amongst other things so let us go down to the sea
and see what we can see, so to speak. I thought we’d try a couple of hundred
yards along the coast today at a place I’ve come to know as Rodinesque Point.
The reason for this appellation is a curious rock formation on the cliffs there
which reminds me of Rodin’s “The Thinker” – before he got his mallet and chisel
to it of course.
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| Horned Poppy |
It
also gives us a chance to have a first crack at our February phenology
observations and look for items that we haven’t seen in February for the past
four years. These include twenty two
flower species, seven insects, five birds and three marine specimens. One of
the flowers being the beautiful Horned Poppy, (Glaucium corniculatum) which I haven’t seen since 2007. However,
that was at the end of the month so I expect we’ll be a little early.
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| Fireworm and Chiton |
Careful
as you descend the cliff path, it’s one of those that is generally only
suitable for goats of a non-nervous disposition.
Good, we've all made it safely down so I suggest that we spread out and get
fishing and do let me know if you find either a chiton or a fireworm – they’re
on the February to find list.
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| Bristly or hairy crab |
What
have you got there? What an adorable little crab. What is he? As you can see,
his legs and carapace are covered in tiny bristly, hairs and for that reason he
is known as either the Bristly Crab or the Hairy Crab. The claws are brown and
the right one is slightly larger than the left. They are generally carrion
feeders and prefer shallow waters although they can be found at depths of up to
eighty metres I believe.
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| Fossilised Scallop |
Well,
I think that trumps my find. I haven’t had much success I’m afraid, just a
scattering of Top Shells and a small fish of unknown provenance that
disappeared as soon as my shadow loomed into view. I did, however come across
this.. it’s a fossilised Scallop. Scallops are bivalve molluscs, the same as
mussels and clams and they’ve been with us since the middle of the Triassic
period over 200 million years ago. Crete wasn’t about then of course as all the
land masses were still joined together in one supercontinent called Pangea
(from the Greek meaning ‘all land’). I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at how
old this fellow is but I did find some fossilised cockles nearby a few years
back which I donated to the
Palaeontology Museum of Rethymno and they were from between two and a half and
five million years old, a time when Crete was still trying to decide what shape
it was going to be.
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| Yellow Asphodels |
Marvelous eating,
scallops. Make a wonderful lunch. Funny how our little expeditions always seem
to work up an appetite. Let’s wander back to base and I’ll update you on the
sparrows and snails. I think Alice may have a boyfriend, just as well as they
usually start nest building at the end of this month. On the snail front Vivian
has gone walkabout and we’ve got more babies but more of that next week. Oh
look, Yellow Asphodels. That’s one flower ticked off the phenology list. Only
another twenty one to find.
Until
next week – happy hunting.
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LINKS:
Naturalists
(the facebook page that accompanies this blog)
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