Beach Bugs!

I can't always talk about fish so here's the next best thing, BUGS. I took the following shots with my macro lens at Cathedral Rocks and Halibut Point Sate Park, both in Rockport, MA. Halibut Point can get crowded on the weekends, but is otherwise very nice. There's a few small trails to hike on, a big granite quarry, and you can walk along the ocean as well. There's no sand, but a lot of small tidal pools to explore by the water. I believe you can even bring dogs here year-round. Swimming is not for the faint of heart due to water temps and lack of easy places to get in and out of the ocean.

 I rescued this ant from a tidal pool and helped myself to some pictures while she was recovering. She's cleaning her front leg and still has a bead of water on her head. 

A very pretty (and hairy) horsefly? landed on me. After moving the fly, it was unusually cooperative for picture taking. All my macro shots are handheld which makes it difficult to draw accurate focus, and most insects don't stick around or stay still long enough for you to get many shots. This fly just chilled out on the rocks for a few minutes. 

Same fly, but from the front. This angle reveals the compound eyes and proboscis nicely.

To the right is a sand flea. These spring-loaded isopods are common on New England beaches. Some people get creeped out by these guys because they are frequently attracted to the underside of beach towels for shade and moisture. You can also find them under rocks and driftwood often along with earwigs. Sand fleas are quite small (the 'rocks' in the photo are grains of sand) but are capable of launching themselves considerable distances.