Saturday 29 July was a very tranquil summer day but seaweed from deeper water had been washed up along the sands, like this Serrated Wrack (Fucus serratus).
Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca) looking fresh enough to eat and is edible, like the fronds of Dulse (Palmaria palmata) at the bottom and Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus)? also in the picture.
The red alga below is (Membranoptera alata), I think, because it is growing as a parasite on a Kelp stipe. The bleached alga deside it could be Gracilaria gracilis.
I recall seeing Bladder Wrack, Corallina officinalis, Sugar Kelp (Laminaria saccharina), Boot Lace Weed (Chorda filum), washed up in various places. This Goby fish, observed by my daughter, is barely visible in a rock pool.
The rock pools were near wave cut rock platforms, coloured green with Cladophera or Enteromorpha of some kind.
As we crossed the dunes I noted Sand Couch (Elytrigia juncea), pictured below, Sand Sedge, Lyme Grass and the mainstay of the dunes, Marram Grass were growing nearby.
We watched gannets and Terns plunge diving in the shallows, spotted Sand Martins on the beach, Eider and possibly Scoter at sea, and this Turnstone on the spit.
Although none of these birds were in any numbers there were flocks of Lapwing at Cresswell pond. The small birds are mostly Dunlin but some could be Knot.
Although out of focus in this picture this Avocet was so elegant. There were a pair of them and also Curlew. This one appears to have an enormous beak.
On the far shore of the pond were some Shelduck and Sandwich Tern; on magnified view they had yellow tipped beaks. A Cormorant, two Oyster Catcher and more are in Curlew in the field behind. There were Heron and little Egret and another Grey plover like bird (Redshank)? that we failed to identify. Birds are bemusing but wonderful to look at. Identities are important because bird many species, such as Lapwing, Curlew and Oyster Catcher are in decline and presence, distribution and numbers of birds are important information. I did not even bother to list the Mallard but it is on the vulnerable list. See Ten endangered or vulnerable bird species.
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