Post-storm beachcombing

A very rewarding couple of days beachcombing in the aftermath of Storm Frank's winds hitting the Dorset coast.

Harbourside park was home to well over three hundred Barnacle Geese and large flocks of Starlings, Canada Goose, Oystercatchers and Crows feeding on the waterlogged grass.

Studland on New Year's Eve as the tide began to recede left a treasure trove of oddities, many of which I've yet to identify.

Starting with this jellyfish. Very purple, the size of a child's hand. The patterns were not similar of the Barrel jellyfish, a few of which were seen washed up on the shore, six months after they first turned up in Dorset.

This is perhaps the most exciting find, a Sea Mouse. Referenced in an article from a finding in 2013 in Devon here. Not normally found hereabouts as it tends to be buried in the sand deep under the sea.

Mermaid's Purse

Several Mermaid's Purses found, plus Dog Whelk egg sacs aplenty.

A strange squashy orange organism, that originally looked like a piece of discarded satsuma but there were many of them in different shapes and sizes.

Finally we came across several Otter shells, siphon tube extended for feeding as the tide went out.

Trip to Poole Park

A most fruitful afternoon visit to Poole Park. Ostensibly it was for a play in the park but a wander round the smaller lake yielded a sighting of a bat, at 3pm in the afternoon. It had quite long light brown wings and spent a while hunting bugs close to the water's surface. It flew up over the bridge, within a couple of feet of us, and off towards the main lake.

That was followed by a sighting of a Kingfisher hunting from the walkway onto the main lake. It sat on the railings before diving into the water after an unsuccessful attempt and then back up to the railings. The wander then included sightings of Blackheaded Gulls, Herring Gulls, Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Redshank, Mute Swan, Mallard and Tufted Duck.