Ample evidence of the destructive nature of the recent storms was clear at East Head this morning.
Adjacent to the car park the bank, at the entrance of the channel leading into the harbour, was severely eroded. There had been a sea wall (of sorts) made of wood in the fashion of a groyne protecting the gravel some way away from the path. Now all that was left was a line of posts and a huge gap where the gravel had been washed away. Nearby there was a pile of timber, just a few of the solid balks of word that had formed the sea defences until recently. It’s not difficult to imagine what state the sea must have been in to cause damage on this scale!
The whole of East Head seems under threat at present. The western side of the dunes are being continually washed away with every spring high tide, undercutting the grasses that can be seen falling onto the beach. Further on to the north the point is changing shape every time we go there; today seams of gravel have been washed out completely changing the nature of the beach.
Maybe this is the natural evolution of this unstable feature, maybe it’s caused by climate change, either way it’s something to look into when we get home.
Walking along the beach the tide a couple of hours before high water so coming in fast but a way off the strand line. After a while small birds became visible scampering about, just ahead of the wavelets on the sand. They were Sanderlings, such pretty little birds with their black legs and short black beaks. I’ve heard them referred to as a “clockwork toy” which sums up the way they move above which is so characteristic of the species.
Elsewhere it was dull and grey with a biting northerly wind that made turning around and returning on the estuary side a pleasure, once the wind was on your back. Close to the end of the walk it started to precipitate but among the raindrops were a few snowflakes or at least sleet. By the time we reached the car it had become a full scale sleet storm, perfect timing for once!