Until July 2017, documenting the seasons of coastal Dorset. I'm a complete amateur so don't trust I'm always right. If ever you see I'm wrong - whether with identifications or in anything else - do say! Meanwhile . . . I've now moved to Halifax in West Yorkshire. Click on the link below to collect the new URL. Don't forget to follow there!

Sunday 18 December 2011

THE WIND DROPS AND THE SUN COMES UP

It has  been very windy recently. Even when it hasn't been raining, the wind has been making every plant, every stalk, every leaf - everything tremble. (Even me!) Not the weather for photos.

But this morning . . . a lull. A day for a quick stuck-foot stop. (This is where I keep my feet planted in one place - and see what there is to see.)


Ten past ten. The sun is up (though low). The wind has dropped. Down to the beach. It's a bit glarey, looking east!


But at my feet - Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum)



And . . . I don't know what this is. I know I don't like it though, so I look up


to the top of the bank above the path . . . . from where the little black seeds of Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) are falling onto the rocks and, rather astonishingly . . .


germinating through the remains of old reeds.

Where . . .


an old teasle (Dipsacus fullonum) has fallen too.

And, below the rocks, on the sand itself


seaweed in dog-walkers tracks. The greeny one, I'd guess is Toothed Wrack (Fucus serratus). The twiggy bits - more reeds (Phragmites communis). But the red threads . . . I daren't hazard a guess about the red threads - red seaweeds have me completely beat. (Too many look too much alike!)

7 comments:

Mark Willis said...

The green one that you don't like looks as if it's a giant radish! (though I'm pretty sure it's not).

Anonymous said...

Lovely shots Lucy, I think I like the last one best but it's a close run thing.

Diana Studer said...

Do you, have you eaten, samphire?

elaine said...

Oh what I would give for a bright sunny day at the beach. Lovely shots. At least there were plenty of interesting things to look at - unlike the garden at the moment.

Donna@Gardens Eye View said...

I love the idea of staying put and looking around the area to see what you see...quite a lot....great shots!

Natalie said...

These pictures just make me want to head to the beach regardless of how cold it is. Wonderful pictures. Did you pick any of the samphire?

Julia said...

Dear Lucy (you know who you are),

I really love this blog, AND your photographs on the other one. Will try really hard to make 2012 the year we meet up again,

Julia