Strong winds and storms are becoming regular companions at present; not continuous rain but nasty little storm cells that blacken the sky and dump huge amounts of rain at short notice. The five day forecast is for
this to continue for the rest of the week but today there is a brief respite, windy but sunny and little precipitation expected.
It was cold throughout the night so the damp air has condensed out over the landscape making it even wetter than usual, it took quite a while for the heater to clear the windows before we could drive. At least there hasn’t been a frost yet and if you stay in the sun it’s relatively warm. The crops are still growing well, especially the vegetables which look ready to be picked shortly.
On the steps of the sea wall we’re greeted by the unmistakable sound of a Teal and sure enough when we reach the top a couple of the diminutive ducks are out there on Chidham Creek which is flooded as it’s nearly high tide. One dives, the other shoots off and
that’s the last we see of them as they stay hidden amongst the marsh grass. Out near the channel are a few wigeon, their reddish brown heads standing out in the sunshine.
Further on the wreck is covered with just a few black timbers breaking the surface. Around them are plenty of Brent Geese, a few Curlew even a pair of Shelduck. Few waders are about though, not enough mud for them for the next couple of hours.
Flowers seem to be a only a memory now, they’re virtually all gone. Just a few desiccated stalks of umbellifers standing in ghostly shapes with a few seeds that have yet to fall.
Otherwise it’s the grasses that dominate, as always at this time of year.
Here and there are Field Mushrooms, not many and far apart. No signs of any underground network with more fruiting bodies, just the odd isolated specimen. This is the harbour though, they should be more numerous in the woods.