hermit-crab

Two homeless hermit crabs, paguroidea.  

Hermit crabs don’t actually have shells, so they use shells that heve been abandoned by their previous owners.   This is why when rock pooling anywhere on the British coast you will find hermit crabs living in winkle or whelk shells.

There is one hermit crab, called ‘Harry’ living in a shell made of lego,  he lives in Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire.  You can read more about Harry on the Guardain’s website, here…

While there are over 1,000 different types of hermit crab to be found around the world, they are actually closely related to lobsters rather than true crabs.  And just like lobster, you can eat hermit crabs, simple dip the tail into batter and cook them as you would scampi.

When a shell starts to feel a little ”tight’ the hermit crab simple finds another empty shell and moves in.  So while you find hermit crabs are consistently moving up the property ladder you’ll never find one downsizing..!

You can watch a hermit crab moving house below.

 

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Manx Shearwater - John Pethullis

 

Sean spotted two Manx Shearwaters, Puffinus puffinus,  at sea today (Thursday 16th May 2013) the first he’s seen this year.  So  it seemed appropriate to share another of John Pethullis’s wonderful photo of a Manx Shearater with you.  Think you’ve got to agree it stunning, isn’t it..?

Manx Shearwaters spend their winters on the coast of South America, while they breed here in the UK, though mainly on the west coast, as well as in Iceland, the Faroes, Shetlands and Orkneys, the west coast of Brittany as well as the smaller Mediterranean island.

 

 

 

 

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48 hours in pictures…

May 15, 2013

early morning on Tuesday 14th May 2013 about an hour before sunset on Tuesday 14th May 2013 this  shows the rock fall on the end of Cowbar Nab & the Kittiwake Colony can you see the face on the corner of Cowbar Nab..? looking over Staithes Harbour about an hour before sunset on Tuesday 14th [...]

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Stunning new booklet about the North York Moors

May 13, 2013

A new booklet about the North York Moors has just been published, it’s ‘Celebrating and Promoting a special place.’ This stunning booklet is full of wonderful images of the area, as well as some very descriptive text.  The booklet is part of a local distinctiveness project, Moors & More, commissioned by the North York Moors [...]

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National Walking Month – May 2013

May 12, 2013

Just discovered that May has been declared  ‘National Walking Month’ by Living Streets, what or who is Living Streets…?  Well to quote their about page…. “Do you love your street? So do we. We want to work with you to make the streets you live, work, shop and play in safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces. [...]

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No. 1 in Coast Magazine – June edition

May 9, 2013

Coast Magazine has placed us at number one on their  “ten things to do this month”  thanks so much Coast for including us, we really appreciate it…:) Our next Coastal Craft Day Course is on Monday 27th May while our next Ancient Paint Palette Day Course is on Wednesday 26th June. Do get in touch [...]

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The Kittiwakes have arrived in Staithes…

March 30, 2013

  The first Kittiwakes, rissa tridactyla, arrived in Staithes yesterday, 29th March a little later this year,  they arrived on 20th March in 2011 and 16th March in 2012.  Their normal habitat is usually well out to sea, they only come ashore to breed.  Kittiwakes have a very distinctive voice, ‘kitti-wake’ or kala-week’ making the [...]

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Fulmar

March 27, 2013

The fulmars may have given up with this awful weather. They had started to pair up and stake their claims on their nesting sites, little caves, rocky ledges or under overhangs, but even they appear to have gone back to sea.  While, like all of us, waiting for this weather to break. Fulmars, fulmarus glacialis, [...]

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Curlew

March 23, 2013

The Curlew, numenius arquate, is the largest wader in Europe.  It’s easily recognised by it’s very long, downward curved bill as well as it’s distinctive voice.   The curlew’s call is a pure ringing sound,  ‘cour-li’ ‘crwee’ or ‘croo-ee’,  it’s a loud slow delivery with a long bubbling trill. The curlew can be found all [...]

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Beach Treasure…

March 11, 2013

An absolutely stunning walk this morning on the foreshore to the north of Staithes. The weather conditions produced such amazing  contrasts, from the clarity of the winter sunshine to the snow showers producing Arctic blizzards, the biting, freezing wind made you feel so alive.  The bright orange beaks of the Oystercatchers made for a colourful [...]

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