Ghost Crab Burrows

I’ve combed Tybee Island’s North Beach for eight years now; veteran though I may be, I’m still noticing new things. On a recent predawn walk, I saw ghost crab burrow holes as I often do, but saw for the first time how different they could be. One was what I normally see, a spray of colorful shell shards off to one side, where the crab was digging down and hit a layer of crushed shells that it flipped out behind it. Another was as if the crab were OCD—not a shell or piece of anything around, just an intricate pattern from its legs scurrying on damp sand. The third was what I’ve jokingly referred to as a stoner crab’s burrow, with peanut shells and other bits tossed around in no particular pattern, not dug up from beneath but as if this scavenger had the munchies and found the beach’s version of a convenience store…