Prints in the sand

I spend a lot of time outside and especially on secluded beaches. I am often alone and surrounded by shorebirds either roosting or feeding and I travel either by bicycle or on foot. My prints are often the only human prints on the beach and I see them increase as the tides decrease during the monthly cycle and wash away on the big tides. Every day I see other creatures leaving their prints and they also come and go with the tides. I walked back along a red sand beach this week and left distinct prints on the wet sand and they were gone by the next tide…..

Footprints on the sand

I came across a set of Australian Pelican prints and realised my feet are not that big!

Australian Pelican prints

I recently watched a small flock of Great Knot walking along the tide edge as they watched the tide fall and then flew out onto the reef to feed. You can almost imagine what I saw from the picture as each print was a bird walking side by side along the sand.

Great Knot prints

A flock of Greater Sand Plovers had all been crowded together at high tide and as it dropped they moved forward leaving their prints and a loose feather in the sand.

Greater Sand Plover prints

In the silty sand I discovered snail prints mixing with the actively feeding Red-necked Stint prints. They were moving at considerably different speeds!

Red-necked Stint and snail prints

During the breeding season in Broome I see the prints of Pied Oystercatchers leading to their nests. It takes a windy day to remove all the prints that they leave on every changeover of sitting duties.

Pied Oystercatcher prints

On one occasion I saw a Red-capped Plover chick that was only about 3 days old suddenly disappear from sight as its parents called out for it to hide. It found a human print was the only place to go, but it camouflaged it well!

Red-capped Plover chick in footprint

I have seen Sanderling run along the beach and due to their speed only leave one print next to a starfish!

Sanderling print next to starfish

Even an octopus will leave a print if it suddenly loses the sea from around itself and needs to move.

Octopus and its print

There’s an old saying…

Take only pictures and leave only footprints

I still have the pictures, but the prints are gone!