Semi-ah-moo Spit
Bivalves
Callithaca tenerrima [2]
Clinocardium nuttallii [1]
Crassostrea gigas [4]
Cryptomya californica [4]
Hiatella arctica [4]
Leukoma staminea [1]
Lucinoma annulatum [4]
Macoma balthica [4]
Macoma inquinata [2]
Macoma nasuta [2]
Macoma secta [2]
Mactromeris polynyma [4]
Modiolus rectus [3]
Mya arenaria [2]
Mytilus complex [2]
Nuttallia obscurata [1]
Pododesmus macrochisma [3]
Paphia restorationensis [4]
Saxidomus gigantea [1]
Solen sicarius [4]
Tellina modesta [4]
Tresus capax [1]
Tresus nuttallii [2]
Venerupis philippinarum [1]
Gastropods
Alia carinata [1]
Alvania compacta [4]
Batillaria attramentaria [1]
(only on Drayton Harbor side)
Kurtzia arteaga [4]
Lacuna variegata [3]
Lacuna vincta [1]
Lirabuccinum dirum [3]
Littorina scutulata [1]
Littorina sitkana [2]
Lottia pelta [2]
Margarites pupillus [4]
Nassarius fraterculus [4]
Nassarius mendicus [3]
Neverita lewisii [4]
Nucella lamellosa [2]
"Odostomia" tenuisculpta [4]
Ophiodermella inermis [4]
Nudibranchs
Dirona albolineata [4]
Haminoea vesicula [4]
Hermissenda crassicornis [4]
Onchidella bilamellata [3]
Chitons
Mopalia hindsii [4]
Mopalia kennerleyi [4]
Mopalia lignosa [4]
Mopalia muscosa [4]
Tonicella lineata [4]
Point Whitehorn Park
Bivalves
Clinocardium nuttallii [4]
Crassostrea gigas [3]
Entodesma navicula [4]
Hiatella arctica [4]
Leukoma staminea [4]
Macoma balthica [4]
Macoma inquinata [4]
Macoma nasuta [4]
Mytilus complex [2]
Pododesmus macrochisma [3]
Saxidomus gigantea [4]
Tellina modesta [4]
Tresus capax [4]
Venerupis philippinarum [4]
Gastropods
Acmaea mitra [4]
Alia carinata [4]
Alvania compacta [4]
Calliostoma ligatum [4]
Calyptraea fastigiata [4]
Lacuna vincta [4]
Lirabuccinum dirum [4]
Lirularia lirulata [4]
Littorina scutulata [1]
Littorina sitkana [2]
Lottia digitalis [3]
Lottia pelta [1]
Lottia persona [3]
Lottia scutum [3]
Margarites pupillus [4]
Melanella micans [4]
Nucella lamellosa [2]
Nucella ostrina [3]
"Odostomia" tenuisculpta [4]
Oenopota sp. [4]
Paciocinebrina lurida [4]
Turbonilla sp. [4]
Nudibranchs
Acanthodoris nanaimoensis [4]
Aeolidia sp. [4]
Dirona albolineata [4]
Doris montereyensis [4]
Hermissenda crassicornis [4]
Melibe leonina [4]
Onchidella bilamellata [3]
Onchidella borealis [4]
Chitons
Cryptochiton stelleri [4]
Cyanoplax dentiens [4]
Dendrochiton flectens [4]
Katharina tunicata [4]
Lepidozona mertensii [4]
Mopalia hindsii [3]
Mopalia kennerleyi [4]
Mopalia lignosa [3]
Mopalia muscosa [2]
Mopalia swanii [4]
Mopalia vespertina [3]
Tonicella lineata [2]
Tonicella undocaerulea [4]
Birch Bay/Point Whitehorn to Semi-ah-moo Spit
Whatcom Co., WA
Site Description:
Birch
Bay State Park is on the south side of Birch Bay, which is off
of the Strait of Georgia. The beach here is an extensive
tide flat consisting mostly of sand bars and eelgrass beds. Tide
pools dot the area
at low tide. The upper beach is cobble with some scattered areas
of small boulders. Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve is now adjacent
to the State Park, extending from the State Park west to the Point,
around the Point and south to the Cherry Point Refinery. For our
purposes we will designate our State Park location as encompassing all
of the uniform sand bar and eel grass habitat up to the Point, although
a large portion of this lies within the Aquatic Reserve.
At
the Point (Whitehorn), the beach becomes far more rocky with many large
boulders and minimal pockets of sand. This habitat is fairly
consistent from the Point, through Point Whitehorn Park and down to the
boundary of the refinery. We'll call this our Point Whitehorn
Park habitat for the purposes of our list.
Semi-ah-moo Spit is just north of Birch Bay across a point of land. The east side
of the spit faces Drayton Harbor. The beach here is soft mud with
some cobble. Few species inhabit this section. The
west side of the spit faces Semi-ah-moo Bay which opens to the Strait
of Georgia. Semi-ah-moo Bay is essentially the southern end of
Boundary Bay in British Columbia.
The west side of the spit
becomes an extensive sand flat at low tide. There are a few small
boulders at the south end of the spit. The northernmost end starts to become muddy.
Tidepools dot the sand at low tide and there are a few patches of
eelgrass. Google Map Birch Bay State Park - sand bar & eel grass habitat
Point Whitehorn
Extensive sand flats along west side of Semi-ah-moo Spit
Rocky patch on south end of spit Species List:
Following is a list of mollusk species observed at this
location by members and associates of the club. This is by no
means a complete list of the species which may occur at this site.
Revisions and additions to the data are made as we acquire new
information. When a site contains more than one very distinctive
type of habitat or if multiple sites were included in a single
location, then a
species list for each is included. We indicate
frequency of occurrence based on our observations. This is an
indicator of how likely it is that you may be able to find this
species yourself and is not a formal population survey.
Frequency Code:
(Based on the assumption that you are looking in the appropriate
location where the species
likes to live - on rocks, in sand, etc. Some populations fluctuate seasonally. Ours are based
on the spring/summer seasons.) [4] - Rare - very difficult to find, maybe only a couple found after repeated visits to the site [3] - Uncommon - difficult to find, may not see on every trip but dedicated searching may turn up a few [2] - Common - easy to find, should locate a number of them on any given day [1] - Abundant - very easy to find, large numbers should be seen on every trip
Data is all intertidal unless noted.
Birch Bay State Park
Bivalves
Callithaca tenerrima [2]
Clinocardium nuttallii [1]
Crassostrea gigas [2]
Leukoma staminea [1]
Lucinoma annulatum [4]
Macoma balthica [4]
Macoma inquinata [2]
Macoma nasuta [2]
Macoma secta [2]
Mactromeris polynyma [3]
Modiolus rectus [3]
Mya arenaria [3]
Mytilus complex [1]
Nuttallia obscurata [2]
Panopea generosa [4] (siphons visible)
Pododesmus macrochisma [3]
Paphia restorationensis [4]
Saxidomus gigantea [1]
Solen sicarius [4]
Tellina modesta [4]
Tresus capax [1]
Tresus nuttallii [2]
Venerupis philippinarum [2]
Gastropods
Alia carinata [2]
Alvania compacta [4]
Lacuna variegata [3]
Lacuna vincta [1]
Lirabuccinum dirum [3]
Littorina scutulata [1]
Littorina sitkana [1]
Lottia digitalis [4]
Lottia pelta [1]
Lottia persona [3]
Lottia scutum [4]
Nassarius mendicus [3]
Neverita lewisii [3]
Nucella lamellosa [1]
Nucella ostrina [1]
Ophiodermella inermis [4]
Nudibranchs
Aeolidia papillosa [4]
Aglaja ocelligera [4]
Dirona albolineata [4]
Doris montereyensis [4]
Haminoea vesicula [3]
Hermissenda crassicornis [4]
Melibe leonina [3]
Onchidoris bilamellata [4]
Onchidella borealis [4]
Chitons
Mopalia lignosa [4]
Mopalia muscosa [4]
