It felt almost back to normal.

It felt almost back to normal going down to the beach to enjoy nature and the environment.  We were at the beach by 06.30 having breakfast and watching the tide going out. Sadly it is not normal and on the sea wall, people are having to distance themselves from each other. Hopefully, one-day things will return to normal. Down on the beach, it was normal for me away from others and beachcombing.

There were a  number of beadlet anemones on the beach they are very common throughout the whole of the UK although I do not see them in great numbers on Meon Shore. They are a species adapted to live in the intertidal zone if they are out of the water the contract their tentacles into their body to stop them from drying out while the tide is out.

Lots of birds were on the shore and flying over the sea.

These Turnstone were at the water’s edge they were flipping over stones to look for food.

The Turnstones colours give this little bird really good camouflage when on the beach gravel often you can get almost on top of them without seeing them before they fly off.

The Spiny spider crab is also known as the European spider crab. They can grow quite large, these crabs have an orange shell with long spindly legs distinctive spiny shell. Their oval shells are often covered in algae, giving them a green hairy look!

There were many spiny crabs on the shore which were a ready food source for the gulls.

I missed the arrival of the Common Terns & the departure of the Sandlings from the Solent due to lockdown it makes one feel cheated hopefully next year all will be well and truly back to normal. The Common Tern has the nickname ‘sea-swallow’. They have a graceful flight and frequently hover over water before plunging down for a fish.

Watch the film of Common Terns courtship. I have watched birds pair up on this rock for several years now.