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Again quite blustery but without the rain. Still quite a few Little Auks along with Kittiwakes going north past Church point. One unfortunate Little Auk was caught by a Great Black-backed Gull and eaten whole :-(
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| Kittiwakes heading north |
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| Waders moving as the tide comes in |
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| Waves crashing against the rocks |
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Newbiggin by the sea is a small seaside town with just over 5,000 residents. Centered around a bay teeming with marine wildlife, a peaceful beach known for its glowing sunrises and fiery sunsets, and Sean Henry's intriguing Couple sculpture that sits out at sea.
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| The Couple |
The Couple is the U.K’s first permanent, public art, offshore sculpture, as it’s based 300 meters off the coast of Northumberland on a platform that’s installed upon a rock breakwater. This sea-based “couple” stands 5 metres tall, and were created by Sean Henry from bronze, steel and marine paint in 2007.
It has been a pretty wet weekend with some strong gusts of wind, but people still walk the promenade no matter the weather.
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| Rocks and spray in black & white |
Newbiggin
Fireworks Display and Bonfire!
Get ready for
an unforgettable evening by the beach with the Newbiggin Traders Association’s
spectacular Fireworks Display and Bonfire this Saturday, November 2nd!
It was an amazing and free display, Newbiggin is a village with just over 5,000 residents but people come from all around, the place was rammed with people including many families with small children enjoying the display
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| Wow that is some bonfire must be at least 12' high |
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| Dawn having a laugh with some of our new neighbours |
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| That soon went up in flames |
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| and the fireworks begin |
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| impressive looking bonfire |
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| cor that was a loud one |
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| the display lasted 30 minutes and was impressive |
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We drove up early Monday morning to Newbiggin-by-the-sea where we stayed in a superb caravan at Church Point Holiday Park. We were so lucky to have suberb views from our veranda out across the north sea.
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| View from our caravan looking north |
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| View looking south |
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| There were a number of Starlings around our caravan grabbing worms to feed their young |
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| Our second day started with a sunrise |
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| Plenty of Kittiwakes going past heading north mainly in small groups and always distant |
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| Green-veined White butterfly beside our caravan |
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| Lots of Sandwich Terns going past along with Arctic and Common but rarely close enough for a decent image. The Sandwich Terns calls were the backing track to our holiday. |
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| Wednesday started with probably the highlight of our week. From our caravan we watched a pod of at least 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins slowly heading north. At least two were regularly jumping out of the water....wonderful |
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| Sadly they were quite a way out but at least I have some record shots. |
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| Bambrough Castle |
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| Black and white from the beach |
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| On Bambrough beach |
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| Having a paddle, not sure Coco and Chloe are enjoying it much! |
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| It is another gloriously sunny and warm day and another stunning beach |
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| While having lunch I noticed a small group of Eider in the bay at Craster |
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| Also a Rock Pipit |
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| and Pied Wagtail |
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| L. Robson & Sons Ltd. is a fourth generation family business specialising in the traditional method of oak smoking kippers and salmon. Situated in Craster, a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast, the company still cures the fish in the original smokehouses which are over 130 years old. |
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| Had one of the Jolly Fisherman's famous crab sandwich, wow did it taste good. |
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St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Mundon, Essex. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.
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| Entrance to this medieval church |
Squelching marshes, open skies and cockleshell spits make up the Dengie Peninsula in Essex. On it, you’ll find St Mary’s church with its curious double-storied Tudor tower wrapped in a timber-framed skirt.
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| Inside restoration has begun by the charity friends of friendless churches |
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| The church closed in 1970 and has been owned by the charity since 1975. |
Wonderful medieval church with a timber-framed skirt, in a desolate landscape that inspired The War of the Worlds.
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| Behind the church are the 'Ghost Trees of Mundon |
It could almost pass as a spaceship. And in fact, Mundon’s apocalyptic landscape peppered with petrified oaks inspired the Martian landing scene in H.G. Wells’s, The War of the Worlds.
Here, it feels like time has ended…
But St Mary’s is just an hour from central London.
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Spent some time along the seawall at Rainham beside the nature reserve and over the landfill site. Managed to see or hear a few returning summer migrants including Sand Martin, Wheatear (2 males), Sedge Warbler 3, Whitethroat lots, Lesser Whitethroat one possibly two and a few Common Terns over the River Thames fishing. A variety of waders which included the usual but also six Bar-tailed Godwits some of which were in their stunning brick red summer plumage. Single Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher. Also, a Common Seal had pulled itself out along the north bank so much closer than where they all normally lay up on the opposite side of the rive. But, my highlight was a brief but good view of a Weasel.
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| Avocet |
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| 3 of six Bar-tailed Godwits present 2 of which are in summer plumage |
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| Common Seal |
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| House Sparrow male |
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| 2 female and a drake Teal coming in to land |
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| Weasel |
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| Wheatear male |
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| Whitethroat |
I had a walk from the visitor centre to up and over the landfill site and back to the centre. Wasn't a huge amount of note, a pair of Marsh Harriers and a single Raven which went was calling 'honking' as it past by. Red dead-nettle added a bit of colour to the foreshore and a speeding police boat was entertaining.
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| Hyacinths gave a colourful welcome as you entered the visitor centre |
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| Police boat speeding past |
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| Good show of Red dead-nettles along the back of the foreshore |
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| Skylarks singing and showing well on the landfill site |
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| ARMADOR II (IMO: 8790259) is a Bunkering Tanker that was built in 1972 (51 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of United Kingdom. |
Click image for a larger view Again quite blustery but without the rain. Still quite a few Little Auks along with Kittiwakes going north pas...
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