Life on ‘the‘R’ural Side
With Jessica Scofield
The Year of Red
Crabs ‘
I know Chinese New Year
occurred recently, but being neither
Chinese nor trendy I have no idea
which animal is supposed to repre-
sent this year. I can tell you, how-
ever, that in Two Harbors it is most
definitely The Year of The Crab.
One day last summer thousands
and thousands of pelagic red crabs
washed ashore in Two Harbors.
Locals told
us that the
mass strand-
ing was a sure
sign of an El
Nino. My fam-
ily enjoyed the
unique natural
phenomenon.
We walked the
length of the Jessica
beach, mar— Scofield
veling at the Columnist
mass of small
red bodies.
Pelagic red crabs—which are
actually a type of squat lobster—are
usually found south of the border.
Their appearance this far north is
a guaranteed sign of warmer ocean
temperatures. The summer strand-
ing was an isolated incident. SinCe
winter began, however, pelagic red
crabs have become our most com-
mon beach ornamentation.
Every week or so a new batch
washes ashore, a sinuous rim of
red marking the high tide line. The
bountiful supply of crustaceans
attracts a large body of seabirds.
Some days it seems like Isthmus
Cove has been completely taken»
over by winged bipeds.
The birds are choosy at first,
FLATBREAD PIZZA 8: A PINT OF BREW HOUSE BEER
A ,.
CATALINA ISLAND BREw HOUSE 15
LOCATED ON CRESCENT AVE., NEAR THE PIER
weéniraw
e‘g'Frraay;‘re5aa+yi§, 2016
eating only selected parts of the
sea creatures. But after a few days
without a fresh batch, the fussy
fowls pick over the remains, finally
consuming less favored fragments.
The intermittent inundation of
invertebrates has its disadvantages.
Occasionally enough individuals
invade the island to completely
overwhelm the avian population. In
those instances, after a few days the
little bodies can cause a big stink.
The birds themselves are anoth-
er issue. After assisting with crab
cleanup the birds deposit their
droppings all over the beach and
sometimes on docks and boats.
Despite these drawbacks, the red
Pelagic red crabs are among the less com-
mon visitors to Two Harbors. Courtesy photo
crabs are an appealing addition
to the area. They add color to the
seashore and to coastal waters, they
draw many more gulls than we usu—
ally have, and they’re something
different—and therefore interest-
ing—to observe.
, SPECIAL MONDAY
Gull" WEI? BURRITO $10. WITH. All alarm:
$42.00 “to TUESDAYS
ONE FREE WEDHESDAYS'.“
But 0H3: 'ElTl‘R-Esi GE?!" 0!: FREE—FE
EQUAL on use“? “we, smear: om.
THIRSTY THURSDAY
$2.550 DRAFT? PACIFI‘C’O $5; DRAFT SHOCK TOP;
STONE ml» 0!]? Sin.“
FINALLY FRIDAY
“.39 Wr‘I‘l-LDAIRQI... CAFE!
SAT/SUI 8;“...
SIX DIRECT TVS! surgeon Nurses!
HEM? nu; BASE or rim GREEN PIER,
Cold: 01% BY!
NEW BAKERY iTEMsr
CAPPUCCINO MUFFIN '
ZUCCHlNl MUFFIN
LAX SEED BERRY BRAN MUFFIN
PUMPKlN MUFFIN
Purchase a
Brick for the
Memorial
" "'iii's'éiriiiiiiihgiiibéh'
