January 25 January 26 March 8 March 9 July 6 July 7 July 13 August 19 August 20 October 17 Favorite Images of 2020
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All articles filed in beaches
Bringing You Along
Just memories now, of a beach walk, August 19, 2020 6:17 am: Accepting an intertidal invitation. 7:02 am: Touching base with an old friend, a study in zonation. 7:58 am: A pause to take in morning sunlight on exposed surfgrass. 8:19 am: A fortunate turn of my gaze, just in time to discover sunbeams penetrating…
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Off to the Shore for a Symmetry Beach Party
Welcome to my small celebration of symmetry. This beach party’s a renewal of kinship with animals we share symmetry with and a reminder that symmetry varies in ways worth appreciating. An in-depth survey of symmetry would expose developmental and evolutionary mysteries better left to zoology and comparative anatomy courses. Instead, let’s head to the shore,…
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Accentuating a Flatfish and a Limpet with Negative Space
This little flatfish, one of those pesky pleuronectids, the righteye flounders, was just a babe, washed up as so much sea wrack when I noticed its perky eyeballs protruding from the smooth, featureless surface of a sea of swash zone sand. The experts I consulted believe it’s a juvenile starry flounder, or maybe a curlfin…
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Update From theoutershores
We all know someone or have heard of countless humans facing ruin or heartbreak from Covid-19. Before I share what I’ve been up I want to acknowledge Covid-related suffering everywhere and express my gratitude that I have a job that keeps me safe, and that no one close to me has contracted the disease. My…
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Revisiting a Landmark
Below, is the first photograph I took of what is now one of my favorite northern Oregon landmarks. I say landmark, as far as I know, it’s not a landmark for anyone but me. It isn’t a single rock, it’s a pair. Allies rising up together on the lowest reach. Accounting for tides and surf…
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Reflections From the Shore
The seascapes below highlight reflections from beach and tidepool surfaces; transient low tide mirrors. Headlands, outcrops, maritime forests, sea stacks, and even the setting sun serve as subjects. Moody scenery, connections, and a sense of wild are the themes they convey. Faint headlands, forested slopes, and dark outcrops mirrored in an expansive residual sheen. Ripples…
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Examining Leading Lines in Scenes from the Intertidal
I’m going to argue there are leading lines here. The one I didn’t expect runs between the eyes of the purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus. It plays well against the rock’s curved outline. To my eye, the image has a pleasing flow from lower right to upper left. The lines created by surfgrass sweep across…
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Take a Walk on the Wrackline: A Drifted 2019
2019 wrackline was full of drifted treasures. Some had human origins, others arrived from rocky intertidal, subtidal, pelagic, estuarine, and terrestrial sources. Unravelling the stories of marine drifters, at least trying to, is irresistible. Most of their stories will remain mysteries. That’s what keeps beachcombing compelling. Arranged chronologically below, starting with memories from last winter…
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Beachcombing theoutershores: a 2019 Retrospective
theoutershores’ seventh year concludes with this, my 26th post of 2019. I’ve uploaded lots of images from the Oregon coast and a few from Galiano Island, Salish Sea. The most visited theoutershores pages this year, as in past years, were Wrack Line, all about the wrack line, drift line, tideline, or whatever you want to…
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