Butterflies at the Beach

And yet another steamy morning at the beach.  It was already well into its way into the 80s as we got to the beach.  However, a nice southwest wind, helped quite a bit without making the Bay rough.

Just one of those weird things.  In a couple of places we foundlarge numbers of Bay Anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), washed up and being sun dried at the high tide mark.  Pushed up and stranded by predators?  Avoiding low oxygen?  I can't see an obvious reason.

Bay anchovy are one of the most abundant fish in the Bay, and form huge schools that often look like rain on the water, and are often called rain minnows.

A father and son out enjoying an inflatable kayak.

 Butterflies!  There were lots of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on the beach today, and I do mean on the beach, as they seemed to be "puddling"; finding damp spots on the sand to sip water from.  All were yellow phase except...

 ...this one.  We must have seen over 20 swallowtails, today, and this was the only dark one.  It's marked very much like the one I photographed at home in the woods yesterday, which makes me feel a lot better about my tentative ID of it as a dark Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

After I disturbed this one, she went over to the Coltsfoot to rest, and gave me another great shot.

It's hot! Can we go home now?

Another Hot Day at the Beach

It was already 80 F, windless and sultry when we got down to the beach this morning before 9 AM.  Not a cloud in the sky.

FWIW, the Sea Nettle probability is still pegged at 100%.  This enormous mass of them collects behind the jetty at Flag Harbor.  The rest of the beach is bad but not quite this bad.  Enough to discourage barefoot wading, though.

Fortunately for Skye, her thick fur keeps the nettles off her skin.  This is about as deep as she'll go (voluntarily), and she did a lot of wading to beat the heat today.  As it was, she was getting pretty miserable, and we turned back early, fearing that she was overheating.  But she's fine, after a shower and a nap.

The Weed du Jour.  It seems to be about the only wildflower flowering this time of year.  I'm still trying to figure out what it is.

It has pretty yellow flowers, that continue to emerge from the top of the long stem.  It'll probably turn out to be some horrible invasive weed; it seems like most of the stuff that does well in the cliffs is.

Fellow shark's tooth hunters.  Actually, a boy with them turned out to be a fisherman of sorts, when we came back he had a Skilletfish in his bucket which I identified for him.

Only a few small sharks teeth today, and one drums tooth; nothing picture worthy.

Another fisherman (or is it a fisherwoman?) perched on the root ball of a tree deposited in shallow water by Tropical Storm Lee last year.  Almost time for more storms to come and shuffle the trash around and let a few new fossils out of the cliffs. We saw lots of Ospreys, and maybe one eagle, at a distance.

Someone kayak fishing in the channel at Flag Harbor.  I didn't see him catch any fish, but I did see him try, unsuccessfully, to bring in one of the boulders that make up the jetty.  10 lb test won't cut it.

The Reason Sharks Returned to Cape Cod

Food! Sharks feasting on super-sized seal meal:

Conservation policy blamed for hike in great white sightings

Swarming the Cape coast in pockets from Eastham to Chatham, seals — a protected species for the past four decades — are being blamed for the sudden spike in shark sightings.

“Nature is out of balance,” said Michael Snell, a former Truro beach commissioner. “Until we start harvesting seals, we are going to keep having these kind of problems.”

Wildlife experts warn that seal preservation and swimmer safety are on a collision course.

Well, yes, grow more prey, get more predators.  Hare... Lynx.

8 Superfoods for Your Diabetes Diet

Happy couple making diabetes diet

Managing Diabetes: The Diabetes Diet

A type 2 diabetes diet isn't just about what you shouldn't eat. Add these "superfoods" to give you an edge in managing diabetes.

Everyone knows you have to cut back on or eliminate certain foods once you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But there are also foods that can help with managing type 2 diabetes, either by providing powerhouse portions of nutrients or by helping quell the ebb and flow of your blood sugar levels. "Diabetes 'superfoods' are foods that are low-fat and high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber," says dietitian Sue McLaughlin, RD, CDE, a certified diabetes educator and president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association. Making these foods part of a comprehensive diabetes diet can make a real difference in managing diabetes.

Beans

Beans

Incredibly high in fiber and protein, just a half cup of any type of beans will provide about a third of your daily requirement of fiber and as much protein as an ounce of meat. Because of this, beans are wonderful for managing blood glucose levels, giving the body nutrients to slowly digest and process. "They help control the post-meal blood sugar rise," McLaughlin says. Beans also are great sources of magnesium and potassium.

Fish

Fish

 "Salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, halibut, and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to be heart-healthy, as long as these [fish] are not breaded and deep-fried," McLaughlin says. One study also suggests that eating fish at least twice a week may protect people with diabetes against kidney problems.

Nuts

Nuts

 Nuts are very filling and contain high levels of unsaturated fats, the kind that contributes to "good" cholesterol. Some nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts also deliver healthy doses of fiber and magnesium.

Berries

Berries

 All berries contain good levels of antioxidants, says McLaughlin. They are heart-healthy, cancer-preventing, and fat-free. Compared with other fruits, “they provide a comparatively low amount of calories and carbohydrates considering their serving size," McLaughlin says. Berries also contain vitamins and fiber.

Broccoli

Broccoli

 High in vitamins A and C, broccoli is another low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, high-fiber food that has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, McLaughlin says. Broccoli also is very filling, a plus for people who need to lose weight. "Try eating a six-inch salad plate full of cooked broccoli," she says. "It will fill you up and give you 75 calories at most."

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

 Many people with type 2 diabetes love potatoes, but can't afford the starch. Sweet potatoes are a great alternative, McLaughlin says. They are high in fiber and vitamins A and C.

Dark, Leafy Green Vegetables

Green Vegetables

 Spinach, collard greens, and kale pack high levels of nutrients like vitamins A and C and calcium, and are low in calories and carbohydrates. Other great choices in this group include bok choy and mustard greens.

Whole Grains

Whole Grains

 Any time you want bread, pasta, or cereal, you need to make sure it's made with whole grains. The germ and bran contained in whole grains have large amounts of nutrients like magnesium, chromium, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate; these are stripped out of wheat when it’s processed into white flour products. Whole-grain foods also contain lots of fiber.

A diabetes free girl who follows diabetes diet

News by Everydayhealth

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