We took a stroll along Rhossili Beach at the western end of the Gower Peninsula from Llangennith towards the promontory-cum-island of Burry Holms on the north-western tip. There was a terrific surf and a lot of foam along the edge of the sea.
I took this photo below as I looked back towards Worm's Head. I was shooting into the sun, hence the grayscale appearance.
There was a strange mist sweeping in and out.
There were not many birds in evidence, but judging from the cracked shells, they frequent this huge expanse of sand in large numbers.
I found this stash of rather unsightly left-overs from a bird's meal (see below). Perhaps you know whether these are bits of Starfish or Sea Cucumber (Thyone fusus) . . .
I am wondering if they match the images here against the entry for 16 March 2008? In any case, it may interest you to know that there is a book of haiku on the subject of sea cucumbers (and other creatures) called 'Rise, Ye Sea Slugs: 1,000 holothurian haiku', compiled and translated by Robin. D Gill (Paraverse Press, Key Biscayne, Florida: 2003, reviewed here, lower right).
Burry Holms becomes an island twice a day as the tide comes in. The promontory boasts an Iron Age fort and the remains of a hermitage or chapel, supposedly built by Caradog in the 11th century. The site is dedicated to St Cenydd (as in 'Llangennith'), who lived during the 6th century.
On our way back to the car, I was amused to find this official yellow sign pointing to a rather watery public footpath ...
I will add my shell photos in a future post.
- Walk from Llangennith to Burry Holmes (visitswanseabay.com)
i wish i lived closer so i could visit your beautiful home land. it's always a pleasure to see your photos and these are no exception. hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your photos ~ they give a real feeling of being right there...in fact I have been there, back in 2000. Lovely spot, and there was a coffee shop or cafe on top of a bluff, I think. Of course, it could be a different part of the coast, but I remember it well. Thanks for the memories :)
ReplyDeleteCaroline, these photos are indeed beautiful! How nice to live near the sea and explore these areas. I love the photo you'd taken against the sun. The sandy areas reminded me of the banks of the Brahmaputra in winter. I was there yesterday on a picnic and took some time off on my own to marvel at some of the wild plants near the banks. I'll be posting the pictures later.
ReplyDeleteAbout the red dragonfly on Nature Rambles, I've answered your question on my blog.
The first photo in particular is wonderful....
ReplyDelete