I'm late posting tonight, because I was playing with trains, so I've only got time for one picture. However I think it's a pretty good shot of a sea cave, or the entrance to one, at Sandsend near Whitby.
The beach here is great with a mixture of sand and Rick's, where you can have fun in the rock pools looking for crabs etc, and in the rocks you can find food ammonites and other aquatic creatures.
If you get the chance to visit, you will have lots of fun. I know I did.
A closer look at the shoreline shows some of the tiny creatures which colonise the rock pools and help to build up the coast.
As well as these two macro images the other shots show different views of Hilbre Island looking across the seaweed covered rocks and pools.
One of the nice things about visiting the island is the fact that invariably it is possible to see some of the common seals which live in a large colony on a sand bank out in the bay. I tried to get some pictures of the colony but due to poor light and with the distance I wasn't able to get a good shot. However as the tide went out and the seals came to rest on the sand they were incredibly noisy and the sound carried clearly across the water. It was a nice bonus on my early morning walk.
Today's pictures were taken back in 2009 during a walk across to Hilbre Island.
The first picture shows one of the many buoys that dot the beach on the way across to the islands. I think that from this angle what is a fairly mundane object becomes quite interesting.
The second picture is of the the first in the small group of islands called Little Eye which almost completely disappears when the tide is high. It is the point at which walkers from the mainland turn left and follow the rock pools and shoreline towards the other islands.
The third picture shows a view between the islands and the mainland looking towards Liverpool in the far distance. You can see from this shot how oppressive the sky was on this particular day but even when the sun isn't out "cracking the flags" Hilbre Island is a fantastic place to visit.
Three more pictures today from my early morning walk around the marine lake. At first glance the rocks in these pools were fairly dull and uninteresting but as I took a few paces along the sand and looked back I noticed how the morning sun had turned the rocks to a beautiful warm golden colour and the reflections in the still pools gave a sense of a big landscape in miniature. Getting low down to get the right angle and they take on a new dimension. My favourite image here is the second one. Leave a comment to let me know what you think.
Also remember to share the facebook link and/or retweet to enter the draw. Today is the last chance as I will be drawing the winner tomorrow and announcing who it is in tomorrow's post. It could be you!
As promised yesterday I have picked a few colour images from my trip to Hilbre Island last summer. The first and last pictures are of the RNLI Mersey Class Lifeboat Lady of Hilbre which is based at Hoylake. They were out on an exercise in the Dee Estuary and passed close by the end of the island. The conditions were perfect for messing about on a boat, far better than most of the time when these guys get called out for real. I have such respect for the commitment of the RNLI who are all volunteers and funded by donations.
The other three images show different rock formations showing the different layers of rock which make up Hilbre and the other islands in the group.
The third picture is of Middle Eye the second largest of the islands with Wirral and North Wales coast in the background, this was shortly before the tide came in and you can see people are walking towards the shore to get back before getting cut off. It was several hours later before I left the island. Looking at these pictures I am thinking about another trip out there, but maybe when the weather warms up a little.
I'm really quite lucky to live so close to Hilbre Island nature reserve off the Wirral Coast. Hilbre is one of three small islands at the mouth to the Dee Estuary, a site of special scientific interest. It is home to an observatory and weather station and many different species of seabirds. The islands have been inhabited in one form or another since the Stone Age and there is evidence of occupation in different parts of the islands. It is a lovely place to visit and for 5 hours in every 12 the islands are cut off by the high tide. Every now and then I like to walk across to the islands and stay out there surrounded by the sea, exploring the shore line, watching the birds, looking at the seals which come in close and of course taking photos.
It's some time since I have done that, and today's pictures were taken in July 2013 when I went across to the islands with my youngest son who joined me on a photographic expedition.
It was a hot and sunny day with a beautiful clear blue sky but although it was bright and clear I chose to take several pictures in black and white some of which I have posted today. I may select some of the colour images for tomorrow.
