Big moon big tide

The first properly chilly day of the autumn with a NNW breeze at 18mph, clearing skies and huge vistas of Carmarthen Bay.

With the "hunters" moon of the last few days, the tides have been impressive, thankfully without an accompanying storm, the dune face has taken a bit of a battering this autumn.

The strandline was covered with weed, including some Kelp, the associated plastic and  Portuguese Man o'War, although mostly just the "sail" and no tentacles.

There was a recently dead Guillemot washed up, it was an adult which had clearly struggled to feed as the breast bone or keel, was prominent which indicates muscle wastage, there were no rings on the legs, its good to check no matter how decomposed the corpse may be check every dead bird for rings, which are usually easily removable especially when there is good decomposition. Sadly many ringing recoveries come from dead birds but the information gained is invaluable to the study of the movement, health

and longevity of many species.

Along the track to the shelter a roving flock of birds held a Chiffchaff, Long tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits Robin and Reed Bunting.