Wildlife
Shallow water, grass beds, and marsh edge make this bay far more crowded than it looks. Most of what lives here spends part of its life somewhere else, which is why the whole shoreline matters.
Blue crab
The bay's signature animal. Young crabs shelter in underwater grass beds; adults move to deeper water as it cools.
Striped bass (rockfish)
Spawns in the fresher upper reaches each spring, then spreads through the bay to feed.
Eastern oyster
A reef builder and a filter. Restored reefs also give small fish structure to hide in.
Diamondback terrapin
A brackish-water turtle that nests on sandy shoreline above the high-tide line.
Osprey
Returns in March, nests on channel markers and pilings, and fishes the shallows all summer.
Great blue heron
Hunts the marsh edge year-round, standing still in inches of water.
Bald eagle
Common again along wooded shorelines, often perched high over open water.
Canvasback and other ducks
Winter visitors that raft offshore and feed on grass beds and shellfish.
Smooth cordgrass
Holds the shoreline together in the wettest zone and buffers wave energy.
Saltmeadow hay
Grows just above the daily tide line and shelters nesting marsh birds.
Wild celery and eelgrass
Underwater grasses that oxygenate the shallows and feed wintering waterfowl.
Loblolly pine and marsh oak
The upland fringe that shades creeks and slows runoff before it reaches the water.
Spring
Shad and herring push up the creeks, ospreys rebuild nests, and marsh grass greens up. Best month for birdsong at dawn.
Summer
Crabbing season. Watch for terrapin nests on sandy banks and avoid running boats over shallow grass beds.
Autumn
Rockfish feed hard, marsh turns copper, and migrating shorebirds stop over on the flats.
Winter
Ducks and eagles are easiest to see. Clear, low-algae water makes the shallows unusually legible.