Ecosystems within Ecosystems

Or natural selection – part 2

Shook out the legs today after a few days following the half. Been out on the bike but wanted the foot to recover a bit. So off to the beach for the last day of my summer holiday – back to school tomorrow. I hope the kids are nice :p

Was a bit gloomy and grey starting off. If only I could get up at sunrise to get photos like SRG does.

Still beautiful though

As the tide was well out I came across this rock which seemed to me to contain it’s own little ecosystem and world.

A whole world on a rock

On my return journey I stopped where the cliffs get lower to have a quick hunt for fossils. Teh formations here are beautiful – They remind me of sedimentary tetris.

Layer on layer on layer etc

Thats a whole lot of layers

Then I started wondering about the greenery a bit further up – Mother don’t read this bit 😉

So off I went, I’m not entirely dull, I wouldn’t climb the cliffs in the photo above but there’s a section where you’re not underneath rock and the gradient allows you up with just a bit of scrambling.  I also don’t like heights and so it’s time to kick that fear in the bollocks – So up I went (come on natural selection poke me in the eye)

The rocks on the right are climbable and stable enough.

I figured that if vegetation can grow and thrive up here then it’s all stable right? Plus it will bind everything together. Right? I found a whole new ecosystem up there that you can’t see from the beach.

Green ivy stuff

Vegetation everywhere

Plus these things which kind of looked like a cabbage like stalk thing (as you can tell I’m no botanist)

It was great to explore up there a bit and the different view of the coast was cool.

A different persepective

After I tired of my botanical investigations (it was also cold) I clambered down carefully and rejoined my run.

I spotted this ….

How?

I mean how? How the hell does a TV get onto the beach – in fact at least 3 miles from the nearest road over rocky terrain and not be smashed. Do TVs float?

My theory is that we have had a lot of trippers this year who come camping and miss their home comforts – But where do they plug it in? 

Anyway I watched Homes under the Hammer and ran home.

You couldn’t make it up