Barrel jellyfish

Lade - 1030hrs - cold, dry and sunny, sw 3 - Mrs PT joined us for a circuit of the local patch in bright sunshine, but with a nippy wind. On south lake the wintering Red-crested Pochard was amongst 900 or so Coots and assorted ducks and grebes, while two Marsh Harriers were eyeing up the throng for a weakling. Around the willow swamp a tit flock contained two Chiffchaffs and a Kingfisher zipped across north lake.

                                Barrel Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo, Greatstone Beach

After a cup of tea with friends and a natter half way round we walked back along the foreshore where two whopping great Barrel Jellyfish were washed up on the sands opposite Romney Tavern. These dustbin-lid size sea creatures are abundant south of the equator and were probably deposited on our beach as a result of a series of weather systems and ocean currents originating from the Azores. Unfortunately, the true beauty of these simple plankton feeders is wasted when seen washed up and lifeless on a beach. 
On a rising tide we counted 750 Oystercatchers, 45 Barwits, 53 Knots and 35 Grey Plovers just before the sea covered their feeding grounds and they flew to roost.