A Sparkling Christmas Day at Shell Bay

Looking across Largo Bay to Largo Law from the approach to Ruddons Point.

Although frosty it was a beautiful morning yesterday so we drove to Elie and parked at the Coastal Path car park just behind the caravan park at Shell Bay. Took the marked path through the woods, then skirted the trees past some spectacular sand dunes overlooking the salt marshes which surround the Cocklemill Burn and then on down the grassy slopes to Ruddons Point. Having explored the point walked across the sands of Shell Bay and then up the tarmacked road of the caravan park back to the car park. It makes a good round walk.

East and West Lomond in the distance.

The large wind turbine at Methil stands out.

Lower largo and Lundin Links across the bay.

A cairn made up of the rubbish that collects on the shore.

One of several huge mounds of scallop shells at the campsite.

'The Holly and the Ivy'

Holly laden with berries at the edge of a field which skirts the main road between Lundin Links and Upper Largo. Along with ivy, the leaves remain green in the winter.

The holly and the ivy - one of our oldest traditional carols. It's possible that it was pagan in origin and adapted as a Christian carol.

Ivy flowers along the path. Ivy covers some of the fences along the old railway track. Its yellow-green flowers bloom late and are a good source of nectar for wildlife whilst its dense foliage provides shelter.

A picture taken previously. Black ivy berries beside the path in the Serpentine walk.

Oystercatchers at the End of the Pier

At high tide this afternoon, oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) resting on the crumbling pier at Lower Largo. They were mostly all facing the same direction and many were sleeping.

At the back of the group of oystercatchers there were also few a black-headed gulls, a curlew with its long curved beak and a sleeping eider duck.  

First Winter Covering of Snow on Largo Law

The fields to the east of the Serpentine Walk were still green today but there was a light covering of snow on Largo Law.

The ruins of Largo House beneath a snow covered Largo Law.

An Orange Fungus

Noticed this orange fungus growing beneath the hedge  in the garden. Although it doesn't look quite like the pictures in the field guides or on line, I think it must be the orange peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia). It does indeed look like discarded orange peel. As here, it usually grows on damp bare soil and is common found in the autumn and early winter.

At Last a Sunny Day

The sun sets directly behind the wind turbine in Methil.

After several gloomy, dreich days the sun shone all day yesterday and at dusk there was a lovely sunset.

It was a delight to walk along the beach looking back to the sunset.

A pink-tinged sky behind the trees.

The Iron Bridge

A stopover at Ironbridge in Shropshire, on the way to and from a visit to Hampshire - this iconic bridge spans the River Severn here.  Built by Abraham Darby III and opened in 1781, it was the first arch bridge in the world to be made of cast iron.

The view from the bridge as the lights come on in the town. The spectacular Ironbridge Gorge has been classified as a World Heritage Site since 1986.

 The view from the other side of the bridge.

 At night the bridge is floodlit.

No Access to Lower Largo Pier

Have been away for a few days and there has obviously been a storm during that time and further damage done to the pier at Lower Largo. The whole of it has now been blocked off, leaving no access to the pier from the car park.

Sea Squirts

Found these odd-shaped creatures, about 3 cms. high, stranded on the beach at Lundin Links. At first thought they were dead-mans fingers but decided against that as they were translucent and jelly-like. Fortunately met someone more knowledgeable who told me that they were sea squirts. Not sure of the identification but possibly Ascadiella scabra.

Sea Squirts also known as ascidians, are a marine class of animals that fall between the invertebrates and the vertebrates. They are simple animals that are often categorised with the invertebrates, however in their larval stage they do possess primitive vertebrate characteristics.   
                 

Although, as here, they may form clusters these particular sea squirts live as individual animals. They feed by siphoning nutrients from sea water. There are two short tubes or siphon openings which allow a flow of water through the body. Water is drawn through the inhalant siphon, and then expelled via the exhalent siphon. As the water circulates through the body; food and oxygen are removed from it and waste products are expelled.

If they are disturbed, they will force the water they contain out of both siphons at the same time which is how they get their name of sea squirt.

Trees Felled

A few days ago I noticed red crosses on two of the large beech trees in the Serpentine Walk in Largo and yesterday saw that they had indeed been felled. This one was probably the largest tree in the walk but it had looked diseased for some time.

 Another tree gone close to the northern end of the path.

Tackling Erosion

With some of the severe storms of the last few years, there has been considerable erosion on the banking that runs beneath the first hole of Lundin Golf Course. The sleepers that protected the bank had fallen into disrepair and many washed away completely. However, I notice that work has now been started to remedy the situation.

Severe erosion on the bank.

 New sleepers are being erected to protect the banking.

Tiny Elvers

Noticed rapid movement in one of the rock pools as I walked along the beach at Lundin Links last weekend. Tiny snake-like creatures, about 3cm long, swimming first one way then back the other way. I wasn't sure what they were but having looked closely at the photos I took I think that they were elvers. (Click to enlarge)

Rainbow Over Largo Law

A sudden shower this afternoon produced a double rainbow over Largo Law.