Three Cliffs Bay

Early on Monday evening, I headed out to Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula. I caught the bus to Parkmill (I'm very green!), before following a small stream, the Pennard Pill, to the beach about half a mile away. The first part of the stream runs through woodland, and here I saw a family of Dippers and a Kingfisher. Moving out into the open valley, the mysterious ruin of Pennard Castle became visible on the cliff to my left:

Growing on the damp ground alongside the Pennard Pill were the native Meadowsweet:

and the introduced Himalayan Balsam:

Here's a view of the castle across the saltmarsh, which was swathed in Sea Lavender:

Turning around, I could see the distinctive cliffs that give the bay its name:

The tide was rising quickly, and had covered most of the sandy beach:

The shingle beach here that lies above the high tide always attracts Ringed Plovers in summer. I've never seen a nest, but I have seen young birds around, so they must manage to raise young successfully, despite the pressure of so many visitors. Today, I just saw this one bird, and took a few pictures from a distance (using a Canon 40D, Sigma 500mm lens, and a Soligor 1.7x converter) to avoid too much disturbance, before going on my way:

I then climbed up onto the cliffs on the eastern side of the bay. The sky was full of circling Swifts:

House Martins:

Swallows, and a handful of Sand Martins:

The spot where I was now sitting is usually a good spot for Rabbits, and I sat down hoping to get a few shots in the evening sunlight. After a longish wait, a Rabbit finally emerged, allowing me to take one shot, when suddenly a small aircraft buzzed low overhead and sent the Rabbit scuttling for cover. Typical! I was just about to leave, when a Rabbit came out, enabling me to get this shot:

The late evening sun was now catching the Three Cliffs:

And casting some lovely light onto the smaller Pobbles Bay next door:

My bus home was due at 9.30 p.m., so I took the path back alongside Pennard Golf Course, and headed back to the village of Southgate by Pennard Cliffs to await my transportation. It had been a lovely evening!