As our trip to Devon is nearly upon us and a national lockdown is not likely just yet we’re in a holiday mood so a walk along the sands around East Head is called for. The weather is unpredictable, one minute it’s pleasant, the next rain is hammering down and the wind’s up. It’s close to high tide but only a 4.4 metre one but that’s still enough to flood coastal paths.
This is especially true at East Head so after a bracing walk with a strong south westerly behind us we have to head off inland as the sea is already turning the large dunes at the Northern end into cliffs with white water it their foot. It’s a pleasant change to be forced into the unusual habitat that exists in the heart of the sandscape. Lots of marram grass at present but few flowers, just the remains of this sea holly to remind us of what it had been like a few months ago.
Dropping down onto the beach once more at the northern tip we had the striking view of a large catamaran at anchor, so close to the grassy dunes. It’s not often that the tide is this high here so yachts are normally well out as the shore shelves gradually. Clearly this skipper decided that it’s more comfortable to be high and dry for most of the time, good job it’s getting closer to Springs and even higher tides over the next two days.
In the fully flooded bay there are several hundred Brent Geese, far too
many to count. They’re all spread out across the water, perhaps they’re keeping a social distance like bats do when they’re ill. More are coming in to join them as the tide peaks, gliding down, turning into the wind, flaring then dropping gently onto the surface of the water.