High Tide at Blackpill

I took a walk along my local beach in Swansea on Wednesday evening, the 31st August. It was high tide, and a large group of Ringed Plovers and Dunlins had gathered at Blackpill beach, which is the only patch of sand to remain uncovered as the sea rises. I didn't have my big lens with me, but the birds were quite approachable in the dusk light, so I settled down to watch them for a few moments, and took a bit of footage with my camcorder:



Could have done with a bit of editing, really, and the wind noise is a bit annoying, but it was nice for once just to sit and watch these fascinating creatures, instead of rushing around trying to get photos as I normally do.

Ringed Plovers

A few shots of Ringed Plovers from a couple of hours at Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula this afternoon:

High Tide II

It was quite sunny this evening, so, again, I headed down to Blackpill to see what was around at high tide. Amongst the many gulls, was this Black-headed Gull:

There was a large roosting flock of Oystercatchers, until something or someone disturbed them, and they took to the skies (the city of Swansea can be seen in the background):



There was the usual abundance of Ringed Plovers, including this juvenile:

And this adult:

Dunlins were probably the most numerous of the birds there this evening, and looked great as the evening sunshine illuminated their plumage:

There were also a small number of Sanderlings present:

As well as some Turnstones:

As the sun dipped over the horizon, I went over to where the main flock of birds were roosting:

Just as I had packed my gear away, I peered over the sand dunes and saw two Grey Plovers on the beach, one of which was attempting to eat a small crab it had caught. I got my stuff out again, and was able to get a few shots before a stray dog scared both birds away. Just as well I had taken my tripod with me today, as the exposure for this shot was 1/15th sec. at f/4.5 and ISO 400 - using mirror lock-up and the 2-second delay self-timer. Thankfully, it stayed reasonably still, and I was able to get a fairly sharp shot:

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!