Making Waves at Christmas

23^rd Dec.  No sooner does the rain stop then the winds begin, which I suppose is better than ice and snow.  Sam and I had decided to take advantage of a forecast break in the current monsoon season and get in a little landscape/seascape photography.  We hadn’t really bargained for the wind being quite so strong so the tripod and filters weren’t put to much use.  The wind did ensure some good wave photographic opportunity once we had arrived at Seaton Sluice.  Photography was to be the focus today and so birding was secondary, which is perhaps just as well as there wasn’t many birds to be seen.  The one advantage of the strong winds and flooded footpaths was that there was few folk about either!  Well, as there is more to life than birds and I can certainly do without crowds of people, the day got off to a good start.

I’ll allow the photos themselves to describe the coastal scene.

We had planned to walk to St Mary’s with more photography in mind.  The wind was so strong we abandoned that idea and walked through the dene to Holywell Pond instead.  Although managing to avoid falling branches I couldn’t avoid the flooded footpaths and began to think I ought to have worn my wellingtons again.  There were few birds to be seen in the dene apart from a large tit flock moving through the trees.  I enjoyed the walk none the less.

We weren’t expecting to see much at Holywell Pond because of the conditions.  There was little on the water apart from a lone Cormorant, a few Mallard and a few Canada Geese.  I would not have liked to have been out on water today myself!  The resident Kestrel showed really well,  a Grey Heron landed on the pond edge and flocks of Lapwing flew overhead.  I initially heard Curlews calling before spotting them beside one of the flashes along with more Lapwing.  Sam spotted a flock of about one hundred geese south of the pond.  I initially thought that these were Pink-footed Geese until seeing them in better light and finding them to be Greylag Geese.  Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch were seen in the hedges along with Tree Sparrows.  The Kestrel seemed to be following us!

We completed the day earlier than plan and headed for home initially thinking we might take a look on patch.  I think we were probably of the same mind concerning the wind and so decided against this.

It had been good to get out and about again and we had made the most of the dry day and enjoyed doing so.  This was to be my last outing before Christmas (I think), although I’m sure not the last one before  the New Year so it just leaves me to wish everyone

A Very Merry Christmas