Go to the last entry on this page .....Go to previous entry27 September - It was obvious yesterday on Pendennis Point that the easterly winds were not yet dying down. Nevertheless we headed down to Porthallow again today and had another relaxing day in the bright sunshine. It seems that the Goose Barnacles are destined never to leave the bay, and I found them again (still alive as they get wet every high tide at the moment). Rather than photographing them again, today I turned my attention to some much smaller barnacles that I found on a plastic ring attached to a shot length of rope.
The rope had only just been washed up and the barnacles soon started filter feeding once back in water. I concentrated on the largest barnacle, and it was interesting that when it became active it was possible to see the blue of the plastic as the plates either side of the operculum moved apart.
As with the goose barnacles, they feed by filtering the water with their modified appendages which they use like a net, although the action is much faster in these small barnacles.
I've put together this sequence which I hope shows what happens.
While my camera was set up on a tripod I also took a few more photographs of bryozoans.
This time the Toothed Wrack was literally just being deposited on the beach by the sea, so as this picture shows the bryozoans were much more active than those I photographed a few days ago.
I tried to get in as close as possible, but with the ring flash just millimetres from the seawater I had to be careful. Next year I must remember to bring one of my thin aquariums.
28 September - By the end of yesterday afternoon it was obvious that the promised easing of the wind was actually taking place.
This morning there was no more than a slight breeze, the sea down at Porthallow was transformed, and I got out on my kayak for the first (and only day) on the sea this holiday.
It was fantastic to head out and to look back at the coast, and with a banana and energy drink to keep me going(!) I headed for Nare Head, and beyond it to the much gentler slope of Nare Point.
The people who run these stations are volunteers who coordinate closely with the coastguard, and who watch over the small craft movements in the area, including people like me who come paddling along.
The point is rocky, with lots of tidal pools. I didn't spend time looking at those today, but I did see a Grey heron, two Little Egrets and a flock of a dozen or so Oystercatchers on the far side of the Point.
Once past Nare Point the coast becomes much gentler, as this composite image shows, with Parbean Cove and Mên-aver Beach on the left and Gillan Harbour on the right. Further to the right, and out of the picture is the estuary of the Helford River before you approach Falmouth.
On the way back to Porthallow, the sun and haze conspired to give the coast a much darker appearance. Nare Head, guarded by a single Cormorant, is almost in silhouette and in the background you can just make out a few buildings in Porthallow. The spire of the church at St. Keverne standing out as a landmark on the skyline.
Is the red seaweed in the right-background Calliblepharis ciliata?
In the foreground, the thin, delicate seaweed looks like Dictyota dichotoma.
At the end of the afternoon, while we were relaxing, a Guillemot appeared on the sea almost directly in front of us. I watched as it dived a couple of times just a short distance from the shore. As it swam across the cove I grabbed my camera with telephoto lens and head off along the beach. The next time it dived I waited, and waited, and waited, but didn't see it surface. As I walked back a couple of people who had also been watching it asked me if I had seen where it went. We agreed that no bird had flown from that part of the cove while we were watching, and I could see no sign of it either on the beach or the rocks - a puzzle!
29 September - All good things come to an end, and the forecasters told us yesterday that the fantastic weather is about to come to an end as the high pressure gives way to Atlantic lows, and today we saw the first signs of that chance. For most of today it was bright and sunny, but with the wind coming from the north-west. As we were planning to head home towards the end of this week, we decided to pack away our caravan awning and other bits while it is still dry. After being in place since May, the awning had a population which included several very plump garden Spiders, dozens of slugs(!), one snail and two toads - the first I've seen all year! That job took a couple of hours, and afterwards we headed down to Lizard Point for a meal in the Polpeor Café. As we ate outside it was breezy, but warm in the sunshine. However, during the meal a bank of grey cloud move in from the north-west, and the temperature drop was very noticeable as the sun was hidden.
By the time the band of clouds reached us we were back in the warm of the Discovery, and we saw the first (very slight) rain of the holiday. The clouds had soon passed us and were heading out to sea, creating a feint rainbow for just a minute or so as the sun shone again. There have been another couple of showers during the evening, but as I head for bed there are stars to be seen again in the sky - It would be fantastic to see the Milky Way this clearly from our garden!
30 September - A grey and rather windy morning with the occasional light shower, and a day of rest before we start our journey home tomorrow. During the day the winds have strengthened and this afternoon down at Lizard Point it was difficult to stand up straight at times - not the best conditions for being near the cliff edge as the wind was blowing from the land out over the sea.
Yesterday we ate outside at the Polpeor Café; today it was so different, we were at table #5 (inside) and the outside area had been abandoned to the winds. When the wind gusted you could feel the wall (and the table, which is attached to it) moving!
The surf streamers showed clearly the wind direction, and in the case of smaller rocks they helped create the illusion that the rocks themselves were moving in the water.
Despite the strong winds, the sea wasn't anything as rough as it can be here (you need a south-westerly storm for that), and down in Polpeor Cove it was relatively sheltered.
Even so, all the small fishing boats were hauled well up the ramp, far from harm's way.
Tonight we are back in our caravan with everything packed and ready for our departure tomorrow. However, if the winds continue strong with gusts we may decide to postpone the journey another day.
1 October - After quite a windy night this morning was bright and sunny and importantly, the wind gusts were much reduced.
With everything already packed it was a matter of a leisurely breakfast, checking and hooking up the caravan, and setting off on an equally leisurely journey as far as Exeter, for our usual pause when towing the caravan. We passed through a couple of short showers on the way, but this afternoon we were set up in bright sunshine in the middle of Exeter Racecourse where we will stay for at least tonight.
Having said that, as the afternoon came to an end a series of squalls passed through,
One trailing a rainbow as the sun emerged behind it.
The forecast looks promising for tomorrow, so we'll be aiming to get home early in the afternoon while our road is comparatively quiet. Click on images to see larger versions |
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