Steart Marshes (Friday 4th September 2015)

I met up with my brother on the Steart Marshes last Friday. The WWT together with the Environment Agency have created large areas of saltmarsh that will absorb wave energy as the tide enters through a deliberate breach in the former defences. As well as providing long term natural protection from erosion, new wetland and other habitats are being created on a massive scale. We walked a small part of it and had a picnic overlooking Bridgwater Bay, and later a coffee at the Friendly Spirit in Cannington. It will be very interesting to see how nature adapts to the new landscape and brings new flora, birds, animals, insects and fish.

We saw shelducks, egrets, curlews, godwits, a kestrel and other birds but photographically I was most struck by this magnificent English Longhorn.

I also called at Westhay Moor SWT reserve on the Somerset Levels on the way back and tried out yet another Waitrose, this time in Wells. It got the thumbs up from me, despite having a pay car park (luckily free after 1800 hr). I always like to find new roads to drive on and the route back across the Mendips and through Norton Saint Philip to Farleigh Hungerford was all new to me, and at one point a tawny owl flew past my windscreen right to left.

L.
10.9.2015 (1951 hr)

Blip #1649 (#1899 including archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #005
Day #1991
LOTD #883 (#1004 including archived blips)

Lens: Pentax HD P-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR

A Trip To Steart Marshes WWT, 4 September 2015 (Flickr album)

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust series
Cattle series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
The Specials - A Message To You, Rudy (recorded 1979)
R.I.P. Rico (17 October 1934, Havana, Cuba – 4 September 2015, London)
Rico played trombone on thousands of Jamaican reggae records as a member of the brilliant Skatalites, including the 1967 original of this Dandy Livingstone song. The Specials brought him in to their revival to add credibility and their version is now far more well known than the original.


One year ago:
Bowood 2014 #33: Tractor Ted's