It’s a cool, grey day with light rain, more’s forecast for the afternoon. It’s going to be like this tomorrow too, such a change from the recent warm sunshine of yesterday. Yesterday was a full moon so it’s a Spring tide today and one of the higher ones for this time of year at that. Time to see what’s
on the strand line at Bosham Hoe.
On the way out there’s some large clumps of Common Mallow near the Itchenor Ferry. I’ve not noticed it before but there’s also some Marsh Mallow; not surprising as it’s not meant to flower until August, much later than the other mallows. It’s a rather fetching shade of Pink, the stem & leaves are covered in a velvety down, distinctly furry compared with the other mallows. Not surprisingly it likes damp places, especially ones by the sea. Apparently it’s roots were used as a sweetmeat which then evolved into todays marsh mallow although that doesn’t contain any trace of the plant now.
Further out on the marsh the samphire is growing well; being so young it’s soft and has a delicate taste evoking the sea. It could be cut now but they’d only be short stalks, better wait a few more days for something more substantial.
On the strand line there’s lots of weed as always. Amongst them are lots of cuttlefish bones, they all seemed to be the same, common cuttlefish. Apparently they only breed once and die after laying their eggs, perhaps that’s why there are so many at this time of the year. There’s also lots of little crabs, shore crabs that seem to have come to grief rather than being moulted shells.
There were also a couple of jellyfish stranded on the shore. This compass jellyfish was a bit different, rather attractive with it’s compass like markings intact. The others were the more usual moon jellyfish that are quite plentiful here at times.