Storm The Beach

This is a lovely stretch of beach on the North Wales coast near to Porthmadog. In the summer months it is a very popular spot for picnics, sand yachting and other water sports but in the winter it is much quieter as you can see from the pictures above. 

Although the sun was out and the sky was blue out to the horizon it was actually bitterly cold, with the wind chill it was around -11 degrees and the wind blew a snow storm from Snowdonia making this a really bracing walk. It was great.

I have lots of memories of visits to this beach where all of my kids have practiced driving at one time or another. I can also remember  along with a group of friends being asked to leave by the police after we were reported for racing. Happy days!

Soaring

These common gulls had stopped by to share in my in-car picnic on the beach at Black Rock Sands. I had eaten a delicious Scotch Egg and a Stromboli bought in a local cafe/deli and there was no chance they were going to get any of that. 

I had also bought a cherry bun for "dessert" but I didn't really enjoy that so I threw a chunk out of the window to the waiting gulls thinking that they would tear it apart. To my surprise and amusement one bird swallowed it whole and then seemed to stagger around with a hugely swollen crop. I was a bit more careful to throw smaller pieces for the other birds and was again surprised to see the already stuffed bird fighting with his comrades over the other scraps in a disgusting display of greed.

I was impressed by the aerobatic skills of the birds as they snatched tasty snacks midair.

I took a number of pictures of the birds in flight as they were soaring effortlessly in the strong easterly wind. I think these shots capture the supreme skill of these birds and I particularly like the light in the first image.

Anyone who has had a seaside picnic will have been pestered by gulls and they're widely considered as pests but they are really quite attractive birds.

Kite Surfing

Canon EOS 6D 24 - 105mm @105mm f4 ISO 100 1/1600s

24 -105mm @ 58mm f4 ISO 100 1/2000s

70 -300mm @ 225mm f16 ISO 100 1/80s

70 - 300mm @ 225mm f14 ISO 100 1/80s

24 -105mm @ 50mm f4 ISO 100 1/1600s

Today I have posted some action shots taken at Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog in North Wales.  It was March and although the sun was out it was quite breezy as you can see and there was a definite chill in the air.  It was amazing how much speed the carts and Kite surfers reached.  It looks like a lot of fun.