The forecast is for a rather rainy day but it’s Sunday so we pull on our leggings and set off for Ellanore.
It’s a bit later than usual so the tide is just as high as yesterday, the waves are breaking over the dunes at East Head and the wind surfers are out.
There’s a complete absence of mud, just a wide stretch of water from the path over to East Head. Strangely there’s no duck or geese there, not even a single Brent, just smooth water. On the ponds at Snow Hill it’s not quite so empty, there are plenty of Teal although you need to look carefully as they’re easy to miss. There must be a hundred or more spread thinly across the lakes, many hidden from view amongst the vegetation. Fortunately there’s several that are close
enough and brave enough to show off their magnificent colouring; at least the males ones do. The rock chick of the wildfowl world showing off their dramatic eye patch and bright rear end.
It’s good to see that the line of dinghies from the sailing club are all well tied up; they’re all afloat on this exceptionally high tide. Lets hope they stay that way, I can’t see many owners wanting to take them out in this weather.
Further on along the path there’s been a great deal of clearance. The path is much wider and more open
now that the undergrowth and brambles have been cut back. The trimmings have been left in neat piles away from the path where they’ll soon rot down and provide a home for bugs. This looks like Conservancy work but it might have been done by the Friends of Chichester Harbour if they’re still doing some informal work parties.
By bay at the end of Ellanore Lane there’s several large patches of these plants that have leaves reminiscent of Lillies. Amazingly there are some flowers starting to peep out providing a welcome change from the surrounding dullness. It seems that they’re some sort of Butterbur, there is a variety that flowers from November to March so maybe this is it, the Winter Hellotrope.