30th August from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth
A brisk wind propelling a big swell onto the beach. Big, lumpy clouds bump this way and that leaving patches of blue and, when the do, the sun is hot and the day is muggy. For some reason the Council send the mower round but what grass there is has barely pushed more than a few green strands it appears to be somewhat of a wasted effort. Again there is plenty of room on the beach and with a spring tide a few wide pools are left on the flat sand while couples sit and wait for the moon to rise.
From 30th August 2021
A constant grey mantle of cloud with no sight of the sun at all today. Very cold this morning and hot and humid this afternoon and back to a real chill this evening. The beach was not full but enough families braving the sunless day to make it a little bit Bank Holiday-y. The sea more or less flat but with fidgety little waves at the surf's edge. Out in the bay the cargo boat Trinity swings at anchor its bright deck lights cutting through the evening gloom. This morning a squirrel and Jay fighting in the branches of a lime tree. The squirrel running up the branches and dropping down onto the back of the Jay. But the jay was persistent and kept on coming just flying up enough to shake the squirrel away before landing back. This was a no-holds barred tussle. I presume the squirrel had a late family it was protecting from the predator.
From 30th August 2020
The breeze is sharp and restless but the early sun splashes a careless incandescent straw colour over the dark green of the pines and gorse. Early bathers are already experimenting with the little waves at the shore edge. The juvenile gull I have seen for the last few days keeping close to its parent and peeping incessantly has been joined by four more. All are wandering aimlessly bewildered by what this big new world expects of them. Our litter picker does a grand job but he has not begun his round yet and the rays of the new sun glint and shimmer off the bottles and cans where they have collected by the bins. The disturbed soil where the path was widened last autumn has been colonised by all sorts of unexpected plants that I can’t name. But I am delighted to see a mullein and clumps of figwort.
