Calvert Cliffs

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Kevin and I took a day trip to Calvert Cliffs State Park, noted for its towering red-colored cliffs that run along a portion of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The stretch of beach in front of the cliffs is an excellent place to search for fossils and sharks teeth among whatever mix rolls in with the bay surf. The cliffs themselves are now off limits to the public, in an effort to prevent erosion.

To access the beach area, park visitors follow a windy trail through the woods for approximately two miles. Despite the heat of the day, the trail was shaded by tree cover, so it was comfortable walking. A narrow stream paralleled the hiking path, its tiny waterfalls adding sparkle.

On route, we passed a large pond where we saw a crusty, old snapping turtle eager to catch a small blue gill for lunch. A school of blue gills, as well as a lone, larger-sized bass, glided through the murky shallows. Further on down the path, we spied a tiny, metallic colored skink that scooted out of our view into the understory. We also got a glimpse of a young black snake as it lazily essed across the trail.

The woods were a mix of hardwoods and pine...and some of those pines were huge! In the photograph above, you can see evidence of the feeding habits of the yellow-bellied sapsucker in the rows of holes left behind after its excavation efforts for insects within this sap-laden pine tree. We didn't see the sapsucker, but we were very fortunate to catch sight of an uncommon red-headed woodpecker atop an old snag, so named because its entire head is covered with bright red feathers.

Before reaching the beach destination, we passed a series of swamps, vast areas of lily pad covered still waters alive with the chorus of chirping frogs. Brightly colored tiger swallowtail butterflies criss-crossed the water, fluttering in between the old tree stumps and new greenery.

Finally, a glimpse of the beach and the cliffs beyond. A group of boys search for sharks teeth among the surf. When we arrived at the shore, it was high tide and the beach area seemed very small. It was such a nice holiday weekend, so what beach there was was packed with people all eager for an early taste of summer mixed with a bit of adventure.