Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The beauty of The Cobb

A week in Dorset gave us plenty of time to catch up with friends and spend time walking on the beautiful beaches. The day we re-visited Lyme Regis, the weather wasn't quite so kind, raining heavily and then full of sun. We sat beneath a leaking canopy outside a restaurant (no entry because of our dog), but I was glad for it, otherwise I would have missed the dramatic picture of the curves of Lyme beach and The Cobb...

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The Lonely Seal

The meandering curves of the River Rother accentuate the beauty of the muddy banks, as the tidal water flows quickly back to the sea. 

The dark circle to the left of the picture is the seal just beneath the surface
There were no flowers to be seen this early in the season, but there were enticing flocks of small birds impossible to identify, not only because of the swiftness of their flight but because we were walking towards the setting sun.

We met a cyclist on the raised walkway which follows the natural course of the river, decked out with camera and binoculars we chatted for a while. It was he who told us to watch for the seal, usually to be found nearer the fishing boats and the town, but today swimming alone along the length of the river towards Star Lock. 'It's bound to pop it's head up to see who you are', he'd said and sure enough within a few yards there it was. It followed us for quite a while, as if to allow me just one more photograph; at one time racing so quickly under water, a 'v' current indicated where it was. For my other half it was the first time he had seen a seal in the wild!






Saturday, February 14, 2015

Cormorants or Shags


A bracing walk along the River Rother, its muddy banks smoothed and sculptured by the incoming and outgoing tide, was a perfect way to walk off an excellent lunch. We had walked along the road towards Appledore, (not the wisest thing to do with the absence of a proper pathway, or a wide enough verge where the brambles reach towards the roadside), but once at Star Lock we crossed and walked back towards Rye on the raised pathway. It was here we spied the Cormorants (at least that is what I named my photograph), two of them balanced on the same pole, wings widely outstretched drying them in the sunshine. Now I research the birds I am not certain that they were Cormorants. My photograph was taken against the sun and with an iPhone (zoomed), so the pixels have broken up a little. I couldn't see the white on the head, nor on the body. So could it have been a Shag? I don't know...what I do know is that the sight of the birds gave me a great deal of delight.