The French have named the vigorous depression that’s sweeping Southern England, Alex; not that it sounds very French. It’s forecast to bring 60mph winds this morning accompanied by heavy rain. Unusually the wind is easterly to start off with but forecast to back to the west later on as the weather system moves north.

Friday is fish day so it’s convenient to walk around Pagham Harbour on the way to pick up some Place and crab at Julies amongst the fish processing shacks. The journey there was a portent of what was to come,

the road to Sidlesham from Stockbridge was closed by a tree that had blown down; one of many. The police were busy organising gangs of men with chain saws to make the roads passable.

With a relatively low tide the harbour seemed quite quiet but the surrounding trees were being blown about and were swaying as the gusts buffeted them. Many of the paths were covered in small branches and leaves that had blown down. Suddenly it appeared like Autumn.

On the mud there were several Redshank that flew off making their characteristic alarm call and justifying their name as sentinel of the marsh. Over head and on the marsh were several Curlew making their plaintive call. It was good to hear them and see them back, some of the first to return.

Over the shingle bank the sea was rough with lines of active breakers pounding the beach. The onshore wind was driving spray towards us as the waves formed well away offshore where banks of shingle resulted in relatively low depths of water.

A reminder of the dangers of a lee shore was to be seen in Selsey near the fishing moorings. A yacht had

been driven aground and was held firmly by ropes where it had been left at high tide. I hope they manage to get it without delay as it’s only a day away from a particularly high spring tide.