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.