Back on the beach

The Safari was up at the crack of dawn this morning and cracking the dawn was too - a riot of reds in the eastern sky.

Patch 1 gave us four Robins, eight Wrens and two Sparrowhawks, not bad. Back at Base Camp we could hear two Peregrines shreiking at each other on the tower as we tried to catch up on an extra half hour's shuteye.

Out on Patch 2 it was a bit dire with only three Sandwich Terns, roosting on the beach, and two distant Common Terns of any note.

Mid morning we had a group on the beach by the pier again. They pulled up plenty of the usal stuff and then got lucky when one of the youngsters brought us this that she had found floating a in a little pool near the pier legs. we didn't have clue but now think it is a species of larger Barnacle from the lowest part of the beach.

A couple of Sand Gobies were netted but some of the children sruggled to tell them from from the Brown Shrimps - hardly surprising when you see the pic below. No Prawns today.
Another very tiny fish was found, a fry from a something or other.
Another child brought what we first thought was a Sea Slater, but closer inspection showed us it was something similar but not a slater. The three pointy things at the back (sorry posterior processes) tell us its an Idotea balthica.

Been looking for one of these for a while.

At lunchtime a short seawatch at patch 2 gave us a very distant Grey Seal and a few Common Scoters but nothing else. One of Patch 2's whale watching regulars husband caught a small Dab just as we were packing up but he'd thrown it back before we got the camera anywhere near it.

The afternoon saw our regular garden clubbers setting to work with their usual gusto finding more wildlife to keep them interested and slowing their gardening duties down.

A small spider was discovered lurking in one of the plants that was 'weeded'.

A large mushroom was found under some of the bushes that are 'off-limits' to the gardeners. We are poor at mushroom ID...help anyone???

After work we took Frank to the beach at the north end of town and promptly found a tiny Speckled Sea Louse in one pool and a (possibly) different species of Idotea (buses anyone?) but we had no camera so we'll have to go back.

Where to next? More patchy stuff.

In the meantime let us know what needs weeding in your outback