Giant Gulls

These gulls seem as big as the people behind them.. I would like to tell you these are rare Giant Gulls only found in Wales but alas it's a trick of the eye.

Welsh Coast Views

Apart from the good fishing, good company, and good food from a nearby inn the views were what made this trip for me.

Oyster Catcher

OYSTER CATCHER

Haematopus ostralegus

The oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight, it shows a wide white wing-stripe, a black tail, and a white rump that extends as a 'V' between the wings. Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overexploited. Breeds on almost all UK coasts; over the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast; where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.

I now see these birds around Hyde and the surrounding area... Old Womtig saw one flying over the main street in Ashton Under Lyne two weeks ago.

Aberdaron

Aberdaron

Wales

More information on Aberdaron to be found HERE

Sky Watch Friday

The Whooper swans seen here is a large white swan. It has a long thin neck, which it usually holds erect, and black legs. It is mainly a winter visitor to the UK from Iceland, although a couple of pairs nest in the north.

Both these pictures are taken on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire near to Blackpool. I find the peace of this beach works wonders for my health. Who could not benefit from all this fresh sea air away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities.

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May I wish all Sky Watch Friday visitors a good healthy weekend where ever you may be. I thank you for your visit and your comments. I am filled with gratitude by your kind words about my pictures and I thank you all.

Peter

Beach Views 3

I took these for Tom, he likes the way the sand looks when the tide as just gone out. This beach at St Ann's just outside of Blackpool is perfect for this.

Beach Finds 2

Skull of a Dolphin

I was saddened to come across this Common Dolphin skull washed up on the beach, but the sadness was I'm sorry to say over shadowed by the fact I could sell it. A complete skull like this once cleaned can bring well in excess of a £100 to a collector.

I have sold a few skulls in the past, mostly ones found by the roadside on my walks. Rams, Badgers Foxes and Rooks and even an owl skull I once came across. I intended burying this to collect at a later date when the worms and bugs had done their jobs. I left it where it was and carried on my walk and looked for something to carry it away in. By the time I got back someone else had got there, footprints led away to a nearby car park. I made a mental note to be more prepared in the future.

This is a beached Ferry called the 'River Dance'.. not that it will be dancing anymore. It got caught out in a bad storm and a high spring tide.. it was dumped here and a rescue operation was carried out to remove the seamen which was a success. The Ferry is now lost and I think as now been 'Wrote Off'. While I was there it seemed like Blackpool had a new attraction.

Beach Finds No.1

Beach At St. Annes Blackpool

Close up of a Sand Star (Astropecten Irregularis)

Sand Stars live on the Sea-bed in clean sandy areas. It 's flattened arms and pointed tube feet are adapted for burrowing into sand. Sand Starts feed on worms and small mollusc's by swallowing them whole.

Common Startfish ( Asterias Rubens) These can be serious predators on Oyster beds, and so are often collected and dumped on shore to die. At one time the Qyster-men would ripe them in half and throw them back... not knowing that both half's can grow back if at least one-fifth of the central disk is still attached to an arm.

The Masked Crab (Corystes cassivelaunus) Not all crabs walk sideways. The Masked Crab burrows backwards into the sand to hide. The two antennae between its eyes are modified into a tube to inhale sea water for it to breathe.

Tomorrow I'll show you the one that got away....