wintering in warm Britain …

By Rhiannonw

Thu, 07 Feb 2019
  • 1575 reads
6 comments
 

Turnstones

Warmer here than the Arctic,
white-tummied furry bundles
with sturdy, short orange legs,
fluttering, fossicking
on our rich tidal shores,
stubby, steely beaks
poke and turn
the stones and seaweed,
searching out their food.

But where the shoreline’s
fully flooded twice a day –
where now awhile?
intermingle with the pavement scavengers
for titbits here and there?
and when the tide retreats …
back to the beach.

photograph my husband’s. There is a cricket on the stones, a reminder of all that’s lurking under pebbles! There was a film on Winterwatch on BBC about the Turnstones in St Ives entering the town and mingling with the pavement pigeons when the tide is high. We don’t have a photo of Turnstones – you can look them up!

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

How interesting! I've just googled - thank you Rhiannon. 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you! Sorry no photo, but I've not got the idea of finding non-copyright photos. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

I can see the little creature on the stones in the picture. It's so interesting that there's another world that we tend to forget about because it's so hard to see, so it was great to read your poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. It always surprises me that some birds come here from colder regions for our 'warmer' winter'! and yes, the hidden world below the stones and in the pools is fascinating!

I hope you're coping with your injury. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

seen something like these here (googled like Insert!) but only on the beach not in town, so maybe plovers not turnstones. The video I saw they look so bustly and have such gentle eyes don't they? Well done your husband getting a picture, if I ever got close enough to insects for a picture they bounce/fly/scurry off in a macro blurr :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Di. Yes he was pleased with that picture. I don't think I have seen turnstones. I think the reason they've gone into the town in some places (and it has surprised people I think) is where the whole foreshore gets covered by the high tide. But they did look funny in the video, such little furry balls scouting round with pigeons and people scurrying by up high!

It must be lovely living so near a beach. Rhiannon