Shiny Starling

It was such a nice day that we took a trip to St Andrews, as, after reading a historical novel set in the area, Mr Flum wanted to see the castle. Before arriving we stopped for coffee, a light lunch and some delicatessen shopping at Balgove farm shop.

Unfortunately in St Andrews all the parking spaces near the castle were occupied and the castle appeared to be closed so we drove along to the West Beach for a potter. 

The tide had brought in a huge number of tests (shells) of Sea Potato (Echinocardium cordatum), which are very fragile and often found broken but we found some small intact ones - and a couple which seemed to be occupied, which we threw back.

After walking some distance we returned to the road back to the car, on the way seeing a horse descending from its box and ridden to the beach, I broke up a scrap between a crow and gulls and spotted the starling looking  greasily colourful, we see them so rarely at home, when once they were so greedily common so is the main picture and map location.

Further north is Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, an old Forestry commission plantation on the dunes, where we walked through the trees until taking minor tracks towards the beach, which entailed (as we had been warned by another visitor) crossing two rows of lagoons. The water level seemed particularly high and several saplings of pine were semi-submerged. The beach here had a different range of debris, mainly bivalve mollusc shells.

We almost reached the point but were aware that the tide was incoming so, navigating ourselves back to the coastal path by crossing a burn, then passed the one lagoon with waterfowl, including goosander and shelduck.

The walk back was hurried so we didn't stop to see the Ice House, as the carpark closed at sunset and we wanted a brief rest with our refreshments before setting off home.

My extra photo is of (top row, l to r, bottom row, l to r) Horse; and rider underside of the Sea Potato on my wrinkly palm; half-drowned pine sapling; bird footprints; shelduck.

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