Monday, August 28, 2006

A ramblers ramblings

While I was driving into town this morning I saw two enormous birds flying over a stretch of wetland called the Loakers. At first I thought they were Herons, because they were so big, but then I realized that they had the sharp wing outline of gulls. They must have been lesser or greater black backed gulls, because they were huge. I would like to have had a closer look at them, but I was driving, so I couldn't.

While walking on the beach this morning with Janna, I was privy to a host of wildlife. I saw a very large crab in a shallow pool near some rocks. The only reason I saw him at all was because I noticed a large ripple in the pool and then I noticed the crab scuttling under the rocks. He was perfectly camouflaged to match in with the lichen covered rock. He is the second live crab I have seen, and the largest. There were lots of birds on the shore too, oyster catchers and gulls (but not my monster gulls unfortunately) and a heron flew up from some rocks as I approached, looping lazily across the strand in a very haphazard manner. Janna chased some of the oyster catchers, and with the dogged determination of her breed, I was afraid she would catch one, because they didn't fly very high. Luckily, they escaped. I also saw lots of tiny fish fry whizzing around the pools, and the imprint of webbed feet were all over the sand - is there anything cuter?

There is a talk on Blackrock's ecology this evening. I am looking forward to going to it and learning more about the beasties I see every morning on my walk.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you bring your camera with you and photograph one of the greater black backed gulls. i would love to see one!! I think a little book, illustrated of course, on the ecology of blackrock as seen on your ramblings would be very nice.

Inkpot said...

I must bring my camera with me and take more photos of the wildlife on Blackrock beach, especially now as the winter visitors start flying in. Unfortunately, the black back gulls were flying over the Loakers (or the salt marsh, as I believe it is called) and I don't walk that far. I hope to see one again though. I wonder would Janna feel brave enough to chase one?

Anonymous said...

A couple of weeks ago i was driving along the Dodder river in Dublin and a huge grey heron was sitting on the wall beside the river. i only had my phone cmera with me- i was too far away. it was amazing.