A juvenile Spider crab (Maja squinado). When fully grown, they are the largest crab species regularly found in Irish waters.
County Clare, Ireland.

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An almost perfectly circular Septarian nodule. Looking like lightening trapped in a pebble, these are actually fossilized mud bubbles.
County Clare, Ireland.

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The outline of flotation chambers in a partial goniatite shell fossil.
County Clare, Ireland.

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A Rayed trough shell (Mactra stultorum).
County Clare, Ireland.

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Low sun and light showers making rainbows while Fiadh and myself stick to the shadows.
County Clare, Ireland.

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Common Frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles developing in bog and quarry pools all over the place at the moment. If you look closely you can see a few that still have their external gills showing.
Wee cuties
County Clare, Ireland.

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Taking a pic of Fiadh but she was captivated by the Cliffs. Can't really blame her
County Clare, Ireland.

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A live Sea potato/Heart urchin (Echinocardium cordatum) with its spines (hairs) all intact, including its Mohawk!!

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The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland.

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Fossilized Crinoid stems and segments in a dark sedimentary stone. Looking like the scattered pieces of some long forgotten machine.
County Clare, Ireland.

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A Septarian nodule with fools gold (iron pyrite) encrusted veins. Basically a fancy fossilized mud bubble.
Might be my favourite stone so far this year!!
County Clare, Ireland

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A pretty shore polished green nugget with yellowish veins running through it.
County Clare, Ireland.

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A sea smoothed concretion.
They formed in the sedimentary layers that make up the Cliffs millions of years ago. Skip forward to today when they erode out of the cliff face and are then polished by the tumbling of Atlantic waves.
County Clare, Ireland.

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"Watchful Eye"
A Goniatite fossil peering from inside a sedimentary pebble.
County Clare, Ireland.

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Queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis) shell.
County Clare, Ireland.

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Over built - Furrowed crabs (Xantho hydrophilus) are the "gym bros" of the shoreline - big arms and "come at me" attitudes.
Often with quite colourful undersides but apparently toxic to eat.
County Clare, Ireland.

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Two of my favourite lichens (there are a few )
1. Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) and
2. Dog Lichen (Peltigera canina)
County Clare, Ireland.

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Not sure what species of Clam shell I've got here but its got a beautifully coloured interior and a lovely patterning on the outside. All Identifications and attempts welcome.
County Clare, Ireland.

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A small sea pottery piece.
County Clare, Ireland.

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Fossilized Solitary Cup Corals.
County Donegal, Ireland.

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