New Year's Day beach walk

We found a mermaids purse (dogfish). This is only the 3rd one we have found!

The snow on the beach is gone.  There were 2 more dead seal pups washed up and the seagulls and crows had been having a go at them.

The other day there were so many dead seals washed up even a big momma  :(

Our puppy found a small shark that was washed up dead and dragged it about full speed up and down the beach, growling like a savage ha ha ha

This was the small shark when we found it - the birds had been having a go at it.

Winter Beaches

It has been so cold and frozen for the past weeks there was no chance to beach comb.   We did go one day unintentionally.   We were looking for the ponies in the hills and saw them down near the beach.  The road is narrow and steep - so treacherous in the icy, snowed under conditions and it was close to winter sunset.

We took the path to the beach with the feed buckets in hand and traipsed across the snow covered beach.  From lying many days the snow had turned to thick uneven ice and it hardly crunched under our feet.

There were a few dead seals and seal pups washed up on the beach- must be the bad weather :(

The day was calm though freezing and the light was amazing.  Will try to upload photos soon.

Unfort we had to climb up the dunes and over the barbedwire fence to the hill grazing.  We went up the mountain and it seemed ok. We called the ponies and they came as we reached the top but the conditions were against us and we slipped on the ice near the top and slid down for many meters.  Sprained wrists, ankles and bruises all over and all feed spilled :(  We limped back to the car.  Not nice.

Luckily it thawed during a Boxing Day gale.   Not a flake of snow left anywhere.  Thank goodness - it lasted too long and was too cold for too long.  Ponies are fine now and grazing happily, pleased to see the grass again.

Yesterdays finds

Some more photos from yesterdays finds.

We did not take our camera as the weather was a bit too wintery and we thought we would not be out long. So we took photos with my dads mobile phone.

Turned out we went for long walks on two beaches and found a few things, including a jelly fish I have not seen before.

Jelly Fish

Mussels.

There are not a lot of mussels. Especially not this size.

Some tiny ones in other places.

We found some under the main pier the other evening.

Big clusters of big barnacled ones. Must go take photos there.

Some of our find.

A really big crab that was washed up dead on the pebble beach.

There were about 40 washed up dead and smelling really bad.

All big ones, but this was the biggest.

This is a dead bird that was high up on the beach.

A casualty of the high storm winds ?

There was no visible damage and it was newly dead.

Visiting a few beaches after a Force 11 Gale

The day after, the weather is always calm and clear. The gale had blown itself out and we went out looking to find what the sea had brought to shore for us.

A lot of large dead crabs on the one beach and a 3 dead birds (one was a gannet). A number of jelly fish and some odds and ends. Have a look for yourself :)