28th May

An amazing still warm evening - perfect for an evening walk - yet we have the beach to ourselves. The sea is an alluring iridescent silvery blue - I wish that I had brought a towel to swim... - and is spoilt only by a slight brownish pall of pollution that hangs on the horizon.
The cliffs cast long shadows onto the beach as the sun drops.
Several starfishes have been brought in on the tide.
The sea kale is magnificent, filling the air with its sweet honeyed scent...

high tide:  low tide: 09.05 hrs 1.1m, 15.38 hrs 2.6m 
time of arrival:  19.11 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind  NE 3 mph, 19 temperature c
marine litter: mostly small pieces collected from the upper reaches of the beach; one large piece tangled piece of net/rope collected which has been on the beach for some time

 

   

22nd May

It is a fantastic warm day with a brisk but warm breeze. A pair of sunbathers soak up the sun and the honeyed scent of sea kale fills the air.


high tide: 11.39 hrs 2.7m, low tide: 17.38 hrs 0.5m
time of arrival: 12.12 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind  N 17mph, temperature 17c
marine litter: mostly collected at the foot of the cliff, along with a lot of 'lightweights' (plastic cups, bags etc) washing in on the high tide

 

16th May

 

A sunny day with a fresh breeze... I walk along the sand as the sea recedes.

I pick up a large bit of net on my way back - a tug of war ensues with my dog. Each time he wins, he leaves the net lying. If I win, a mad dog attaches his teeth to the net and tries to trip me up... Finally my assailant is distracted by chasing pebbles and I manage to get the net back off the beach.

high tide: 08.15 hrs 2.5m, low tide: 13.41 hrs 1.1m,
time of arrival: 12.55 hrs  
weather: cloudy sunshine, wind NE 9 mph, temperature 11c
marine litter: bottles and small pieces of net
 

 

13th May

Cloudy sunshine but cold with a brisky wind from the south...perfect walking weather. A southbound cyclist fights the wind on the firm sand exposed by the low tide. We walk all the way to Sizewell along the wide sandy expanses, treating ourselves to a coffee and cake at Cliff House from where we can admire the view. Bluebells and sheeps sorrel carpet the hinterland. We find an adder amongst some rubbish by a clump of vegetation at the foot of the dunes. It is off (so am I!) before I can capture it in a photo... This one is definitely alive - unlike the seal we find washed up back at Thorpeness.

high tide:  low tide: 10.04 hrs 1.2m, 16.25 hrs 2.5m
time of arrival: 11.20 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind S 18 mph, temperature 14c
marine litter: something of everything... but we walk much further than usual

 

 

7th May

It is Bank Holiday Monday and after the dismal weather of the weekend and a less than encouraging forecast, we wake up to sunshine! There is a chilly wind but the sun transforms the beach. There are lots of kites, many dogwalkers and two girls even attempt to swim. Sandmartins swoop frenetically by the cliffs.
It is a building tide with all the usual kinds of rubbish on the beach but a notable number of plastic bottles, sanitary towels and balloons. Regrettably, I could have filled my two carrier bags several times over...
Bizarrely, we find a fat dead adder at the high tide line at Thorpeness - presumably drowned in the previous week's big seas...?


high tide: 11.25 hrs 2.9m, low tide: 17.31 hrs 0.2m
time of arrival: 11.50 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind SE 14 mph, temperature 12c
marine litter: many plastic bottles, sanitary towels and balloons