Titlow Beach AKA Site 277
We met with our teammates Denise and Don earlier in the month and they brought us up to speed with the new protocols for this year’s monitoring. Nothing major but a couple of small tweeks with the reporting process.
Last year we actually weren’t out in the field until much later in the season. I believe it was due to the paperwork involved in registering a new site within a municipal park. Last years late summer weather was exceptionally dry and I felt sure that starting in spring this year we’d have to endure some chill and rain.
Not that case for April! We arrive at our site to conduct our Molt Hunt, beach survey and set traps to a pristine day of cool temperatures but plenty of sunshine.
We didn’t find much in the way of molts, but I didn’t expect too. A bit early for the crabs to be molting. Our beach hadn’t changed since last year so no surprise there either.
What did surprise me was the small number of crabs and fish we pulled in on Sunday. Just a couple of Three-Spined StickleBack (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and 4 Hairy Shore Crab (Hemigapsus oregonensis).
Perhaps it’s just the time of year as well, but I’ll be anxious to see what the results of May bear out.
