August on the Outer Cape

Birds sighted: Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, American Crow, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Laughing Gull

Here is a taste of summer beach time for those suffering from the dismal days of December. Traveler Two and I spent three marvelous days enjoying the beaches of the outer Cape (the part of the Cape Cod beyond the bend in the "elbow" oriented north/south) one weekend in late August.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird gripping onto Cleome

Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Taken in the garden at Aunt Sukie's.

We escaped this Traveler's home early in the morning and, to our surprise, didn't hit any traffic at all. This is a small miracle this time of year on the Cape. We headed up past Wellfleet, where we were going to stay, and up into Truro to Head of the Meadow Beach to enjoy sand dunes, sand, and sea. We spent a lot of time bobbing around in the waves (water was COLD), saw a jelly fish, and then wandered the beach looking for interesting rocks, and, in my case, hermit crabs. Then in was up to Provincetown for lunch and a wander through some shops. We then headed south again to Wellfleet to Aunt Sukie's Bed and Breakfast. We were very happy with our accommodations here and the grounds are fabulous. The gardens, with their private areas to sit and explore, are beautiful.

Walking over the dunes to Head of the Meadow Beach

Head of the Meadow Beach

A look at a Hermit Crab underwater

Seaweed underwater

Head of the Meadow Beach

The next day we drove east down the road from Aunt Sukie's to where the trail head of the Great Island Trail is located. It's just a short drive. You can wander through pine forest and then skirt a marshy area and walk up and over the dunes to a spectacular beach. Being on the the bay side the water was much warmer and calmer. It was also, due to the relatively long walk/hike to get to the beach, much less populated than most beaches you will find in the area. There are eight miles of hiking trails on the Great Island peninsula.

Cape Cod Bay

Sanderling

Ring-billed Gull

Laughing Gulls marching down the beach. They are losing their breeding plumage (dark heads). Juveniles in back.

Laughing Gull

Laughing Gulls

Semipalmated Plover

That tiny lump in the middle is actually a crab covered in sand.

Fiddler Crab

Osprey carrying its breakfast. Notice how it orients the fish in an aerodynamic manner.

Great Blue Heron. Taking this heron's photo was quite an experience. There is a very long "board walk" out to the beach from Aunt Sukie's. I spent at least 20 minutes creeping out onto the boardwalk to get these photos. This heron and I must have spent at least 45 minutes just sitting on the boardwalk together as I took its photo.