A soldier crab in all it’s glory
A plover eyeing off the many crabs along the beach
This is a heavy lens and can get tiring when walking around with it all day. A good shoulder strap can help. Also, it doesn’t seem to be weather sealed and there is a bit of air pumping in and out when zooming, which in the wrong environment, could cause an issue for camera and lens.
But it’s an affordable, dependable lens that provides great image quality at a great price point.
Feeding time
Soldier crabs are found in Australia from North Queensland, all the way down to Victoria. They live near any where that’s tidal, such as quieter beaches or mangroves, and they tend to move in large groups and somehow appear and disappear all at the same time.
As they cruise along the beach they constantly eat, stuffing sand into their mouths and filtering out any goodness. After they’ve taken in their fill they leave behind round pellets of sand and then move on to the next area. You know there’s soldier crabs in the area as they leave these monuments all over the place.
As the tide goes out soldier crabs appear, then they disappear just as quickly if they feel any vibration on the sand.
Look at the details on the crab’s body, I had no idea!
One of the many threats to the soldier crab is the masked lapwing, or plover. Plovers have unbelievable hearing and can zero in on hidden insects (or crabs) moving beneath the soil and sand.
The plover stays still, moving only occasionally, leading the crabs into a false sense of security. Lucky for some, unlucky for others.
Feeding time
