Solway Oystercatchers

A glorious afternoon before the storm.... The light was wonderful and we happened to be down the beach at high tide when all the birds were pushed to the top of the beach. Careful positioning of ourselves and Rocky meant that they stayed where they were, conserving energy and enjoying the sun. Unfortunately a couple who wanted to get close with their camera and big lenses, wanted to get too close and put them up.

Curlew and Oystercatchers at high tide. 

Trying to catch the perfect wave background. 

The first time we have really noticed a drift line of nurdles ....

Sanderling.

Knot.

Take off.....

Knot catching the light as they murmerate.

Greenfinches.

Dune grassland fungi.

Gelli printing momigami

The other evening I was figety, needing to do something  - so out came the gelli plate to produce a series of prints based on the small fossil fragments that we find at Aughertree .  Click here for photos of the fossils etc They were fine but what to do with them - well a friend kindly suggested momigami - an ancient Japenese craft, that translated means kneaded paper. By breaking down the fibres it makes the material much stronger - hence being able to stitch into it. I didn't go the whole way of adding oil etc to finish  the paper - something for a later time! Anyway I found that I didn't like the prints with white areas left, so these were coloured with walnut ink, which I just happened to have made. I also tried drawing what I wanted to sew with the machine on the back of the cloth (I had adhered the paper to a piece of cotton), but the needle pushed  the back of the paper to the front leaving a white mark - so much for that idea! I then machine stitched the outlines of the fossils before adding hand stitching - very therapeutic. 

Gelli prints ...

..scrunched up ...and then the white was painted with walnut ink....

The finished pieces ...what doesn't show in the photogrpahs is how the surface texture of the paper is rock-like. 

Autumnal colour

 Back home and a walk on the bog ...it's getting wet and the colours continue to intensify.

Skeins of Pink-feet punctuate the air.....

It may be about to rain! 

...but not on us! 

Saltwick Bay

Before setting off for home, we popped down to Saltwick Bay. It was really nice to be able to walk out so far on the wave-cut platform...there were very few rockpools as such and not a great variety of life, but then again it's such a harsh environment as the tide comes in, that I suppose it's not surprising. Returning along the beach, under the cliffs, there were quite a few fossil bits and some nodules - not a place to linger as there was sporadic tinkling, as bits of shale fell from the cliff onto the beach. 

Shale jammed into cracks in the platform.

Three ammonite nodules and odds and ends ...

...and a final quick trip into Whitby for  Fortune's Kippers....

Whitby Abbey

After Port Mulgrave, being as the light was so beautiful, we decided to pop into Whitby and photograph the Abbey. As it was only an hour before closing it certainly wasn't worth paying £30 for entry, so it was photos over the wall as usual. 

Looking across Whitby to the Abbey.

Details....

My favourite pic...

Port Mulgrave (and Staithes)

A prompt start to get to the beach at Port Mulgrave, before the tide came in, on the most gloriously sunny morning. A disappointing number of fossils, but a lovely walk and to be honest going up and down the rope is the best bit anyway!

After Port Mulgrave we walked along the Cleveland Way, on the cliff top, to Staithes where the pub that sells Crab sandwiches wasn't doing food and the really good art gallery wasn't open....glad it was such a nice day to be out and about! 

Down the rope...

'Beach Huts'.

A few, not very good, bits of fossils that we left behind...

..and a nodule with potential, that needs a good whack when we get home...

Colourful cliffs...

..and lovely rust and peeling paint! ......

..and back up the cliff with the help of the rope...

..and on to Staithes....

In such glorious sunshine Staaithes almost look like a small Greek village .....apart from the colour of the sea.