@wordsfromwez
Posts about coastal wildlife with history & science mixed in. Seabirds, saltmarsh & shorebirds, particularly on the Solent coast.🐤🌊
Nore Rithe at Emsworth this evening. A flat sea & a small collection of people out enjoying it 💙
Hadrians Wall at Cawfields on a summer evening. Not a soul in sight. Wondrous to stand here and consider the lives that have interacted with these stones over the millennia, and the empires and kingdoms that have come and gone.
Observation of the impacts of this year heat on the Sea Purslane at the West Hayling Lagoon. The part of the expanding patch above the spring tide line (in blue on the 2nd pic) has been frazzled over the last 6 weeks of heat & drought. The area beneath is fine. Very stark difference this year.
Such a classic British experience to live within a county or so of some internationally well known wonder, but never visit. I was in my 40's when I first came to Stone Henge, despite spending my life in the area. It is enchanting, you can't help but consider the generations passing on the landscape.
The lower Severn at WWT Slimbridge, with Longhorns grazing in the sun, and May Hill in the background keeping watch down the river. #Gloucestershire
There's a large smoke plume rising above Hayling island this lunch time. This the view from Emsworth. Local reports confirm the fire brigade were quickly in attendance.
Once more onto the beach, at West Wittering today. 🏖🌡☀️ Lots of Sand Gobies in the shallows 🐟🐟
A stranded Compass Jellyfish, washed up on the shore of Lepe Beach this weekend. Every visit to the coast has a wonder or two.
*Liberty of the Seas* arriving in the Solent early this morning. Along with the others in it's class, she was the largest passenger ship in the world between 2007 and 2009. The view is from Lepe.
This is the state of Facebook on one of the biggest threats to humanity this millenium. Ragebait & a wall of smug comments saying '*they* said this before", "Project fear' etc. No one is forecasting these places to be under water. They will however be under the storm surge line if not protected.
Great to see these guys made it through the last week. It's been a difficult period for roof nesters 🌡
The tiny world of Lesser Sea-spurrey, noticed on Southsea Common this weekend. Easily overlooked, but a welcome companion to any picnic near the sea. Flowers are circa 3mm. #WildFlowerHour 🌸
Summer on the Emsworth Saltmarsh 💙 This the view from the coastal path as it's shaded by Nore Barn Woods. (The algal matting on the mudflats is becoming more prominent with the season).
BBC News - Russian warship fires warning shots near UK-registered yacht in Channel www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
June is peak season for seabird chicks on the south coast of England (and much of the north atlantic). Next time you see a gull, remember its probably their birthday this month or last 🐣🥳. Chicks are active on the Langstone Harbour colony webcam: www.youtube.com/live/YEHwZHX... #SuperSeabirdSunday
It's a grim day in the Solent, but seabird colonies are weathering it out and chicks are still popping out from under there parents for small explorations in the big new world: Solent Seabird TV - Live | Solent Seascape Project share.google/UN54yyrS3QcC...
Portsmouth, a city surrounded by globally important coastal wetlands, with the potential for an inspiring resurrection 🐤🌱🐟🦀🌊
A visit to the saltmarsh & shingle of Pagham Harbour this afternoon. What this image doesn't show are the Little Terns fishing directly in front of us, and the Sandwich Terns screeching overhead as they travel to and from the open sea 💙
Common Spotted Orchid, one of many along an unshaded woodland track in east Hampshire today. #WildFlowerHour
A visit to the Rampion Wind Farm off the Sussex coast yesterday. A marvel of engineering. These giants sit 13km offshore and can be seen from Selsey to Beachy Head.
12k likes, 2.6k shares, and completely AI fabricated. A search online reveals only further AI, alongside a single, wooden, concept trial. It doesn't even make ecological sense. Our nature is in desperate need of the known (but difficult) options, but its easier to believe colourful fantasies.
Under the Langstone Bridge (to Hayling Island) yesterday, heading to Northney. The bridge marks the de facto boundary of Langstone & Chichester Harbours for most, although the de jure boundary is actually the old railway crossing a few hundred metres to the west.
A perfectly beautiful Horse Chestnut in flower today 💚 There is something wondrous about the way tree limbs and foliage branch and reach.
Sandwich Terns have been feeding and courting in the Emsworth Channel of Chichester Harbour this week. I love that sound 💙 The nearby colonies should be forming very soon. Always a good idea to check the buoys for Terns.
A pair of Common Terns on the Oyster growing cages at West Hayling today. Hopefully many more to follow 💙
High water at the Northney saltmarsh on the northern fringe of Hayling Island. The sun was shining and terns are passing through. What's not to like? 💙
The warmth this week has bought on a wave of nest building at some of the Solent gull colony sites, with others following in the next few weeks. Black-headed Gulls at West Hayling are weaving seaweed & spartina to snuggle in. #SuperSeabirdSunday
On these fresh spring days, when the sea air is laden with the scent of the tide line and blossom, it's a joy just to breath it all in and absorb the approaching summer 🌞
Black-headed Gull nesting is underway in the Solent, driven on by some beautiful warm days this week. Over the next few months, some 10,000 pairs of Black-headed Gulls will attempt to raise young on the Solents saltmarsh, shingle islands & lagoons 🐥🐣