Landguard Nature Reserve

 

We took advantage of the warm weather today and enjoyed an afternoon by the sea in Felixstowe at the Landguard Nature Reserve. 

There was a short stretch of boardwalk leading towards the water, and, as you can see, it wasn't exactly overrun with people. The next two pictures show us enjoying a virtually empty beach...

 

Readers of this blog will know that I often look out for an oyster shell when I am on the beach in this area to remind me of the Romans who would have walked along these shores from nearby Walton Castle, which has now disappeared.

More empty sands... looking into the sun

... and away from the sun towards the town.

A cargo ship was being filled with containers just behind us.

I had been told that there were some small flowers to look out for on the reserve...

I need to research the names of some of the flowers. The one above is a kind of Trefoil, I think.

The bird observatory, which has been here since 1982, sits at the top of the shingle beach. This is a very good place for encountering migrant birds.

On this occasion the birds we saw...

...were not particularly unusual. I see the wagtail has been ringed.

There were several clumps of Scarlet Pimpernel in an area of sand dune inhabited by a colony of rabbits.

I was quite surprised to find the Horned Poppies still in flower.

Thanks to the comment below from Conehead54 I now know that the little flowers in the next photo are Common Storksbill.

I think this yellow flower is Lady's Bedstraw.

At one point these Cormorants did a fly-past.

We also encountered a small murmuration of Starlings...

You can see them on the horizon in a dark arc.

Again thanks are due to Conehead54 for telling me that this is Common Centaury. I must learn these plants that grow on or near our shingle beaches.

There were plenty of ripe blackberries.

David kept a tally of the butterflies we encountered. These were largely Small Whites and we were encouraged at the numbers. 

 

All in all we were very pleased to renew our acquaintance with this coastal corner of Suffolk, and hope to explore its wildlife further, another lockdown permitting.

P.S. I have finally given in and converted to the new Blogger interface. Unlike the old one, I am not finding it very intuitive so please bear with me as I learn how to sort out the spacing etc!