The Arnside Bore

This was a day in three parts.  After Gus's gentle walk and breakfast, we went down to the front to see the Arnside bore.  The bore is usually more impressive as a spectacle than in still photographs.  Today, it disappointed on both counts.  More of a ripple than a wave advancing up the estuary, and no great slapping sound when it hit the pillars of the viaduct.  Oh well, next time perhaps.  So here is a photo of another form of Arnside Bore, the nearest I will come to a self portrait this year, as the tide was gently rising and the mudflats sinking below the water.

The second part was accompanying Lynne, the resident president of the Botanical Society of the British Isles on a walk round part of the village as our contribution to the Society's annual New Year Plant Hunt.  This was a repeat of a walk we did two years ago on New Year's Day, albeit confining ourselves this time to a 1km square that included the Pier and a kilometre of coast.  The idea is to record all the wild plant species that are found in flower.  Last time we found 43 species, this time it was just 16.  And though that may sound disappointing, it is perhaps more typical of what we might normally expect.  This winter we have had frosts and even snow in November, as well as many days of grey skies and plentiful rain.  Two years ago there was no frost until after New Year, and we found plants lingering on from the previous growing season as well as plants flowering earlier than usual.  On these sorts of events the tiniest and most insignificant weeds acquire an interest of their own (at least to the Arnside Bore).  The extra shows a winter heliotrope, not a native species, but doing well growing wild - perhaps the largest flowering plant seen today.

Finally, since it was a good bright afternoon, C and I went out to look for a murmurration.  We saw and heard a huge number of starlings coming to roost.  But there was to be no aerial spectacular, they all quickly settled in the reedbeds.  Oh well, next time perhaps.